The venoms of Micrurus lemniscatus carvalhoi, Micrurus frontalis frontalis, Micrurus surinamensis surinamensis and Micrurus nigrocinctus nigrocinctus were assayed for biological activities. Although showing similar liposome disrupting and myotoxic activities, M. frontalis frontalis and M. nigrocinctus nigrocinctus displayed higher anticoagulant and phospholipase A2 (PLA 2) activities. The latter induced a higher edema response within 30 min. Both venoms were the most toxic as well. In the isolated chick biventer cervicis preparation, M. lemniscatus carvalhoi venom blocked the indirectly elicited twitch-tension response (85±0.6% inhibition after a 15 min incubation at 5 μg of venom/mL) and the response to acetylcholine (ACh; 55 or 110 μM), without affecting the response to KCl (13.4 mM). In mouse phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparation, the venom (5 μg/mL) produced a complete inhibition of the indirectly elicited contractile response after 50 min incubation and did not affect the contractions elicited by direct stimulation. M. lemniscatus carvalhoi inhibited 3H-l-glutamate uptake in brain synaptosomes in a Ca2+-, but not time, dependent manner. The replacement of Ca2+ by Sr2+ and ethylene glycol-bis(β-aminoethyl ether) (EGTA), or alkylation of the venom with p-bromophenacyl bromide (BPB), inhibited 3H-l-glutamate uptake. M. lemniscatus carvalhoi venom cross-reacted with postsynaptic α-neurotoxins short-chain (antineurotoxin-II) and long-chain (antibungarotoxin) antibodies. It also cross-reacted with antimyotoxic PLA2 antibodies from M. nigrocinctus nigrocinctus (antinigroxin). 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