Small to moderate-sized snake with an average length of 60 to 75 cm. The body is moderately robust, with a medium-sized head moderately differentiated from the neck. Its coloration pattern has three colors: red, black, and yellow. Terrestrial habits, it is active during twilight and night time. It can generally be found under fallen leaves, tree trunks and stones, and occasionally it has been sighted under floors or inside houses. It feeds of other snakes, including a large variety in the Colubridae family and caecilians. It must be mentioned that it looks similar to most species in this genus, especially Micrurus nigrocinctus. It can also be confused with many coral imitator species (Colubridae family).

A common snake distributed from the east and southeastern Caribbean in Nicaragua to the northwest Caribbean in Panama. In Costa Rica it is found in tropical and subtropical rainforests of the Caribbean slope, from sea level to 1500 m of altitude.