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Poisonous animals
 
Cnidarians (Jellyfish, Corals and Anemones)
 
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Genus/Species

 

Calliophis spp., Oriental coral snakes

Clinical entries

Species

  • 1. Calliophis beddomei
  • 2. Calliophis bibroni
  • 3. Calliophis bilineatus
  • 4. Calliophis bivirgatus
  • 5. Calliophis castoe
  • 6. Calliophis gracilis
  • 7. Calliophis haematoetron
  • 8. Calliophis intestinalis
  • 9. Calliophis maculiceps
  • 10. Calliophis melanurus
  • 11. Calliophis nigrescens
  • 12. Calliophis nigrotaeniatus
  • 13. Calliophis philippinus
  • 14. Calliophis salitan
  • 15. Calliophis suluensis

 

In accordance with Slowinski et al. (2001), the former genus Maticora (with the two species M. bivirgata and M. intestinalis) is integrated into the genus Calliophis. The new genera Sinomicrurus and Hemibungarus (the latter consisting of the single species H. calligaster, formerly Calliophis calligaster) are now termed "Asian coral snakes".

Taxonomy

Serpentes; Elapidae; Elapinae

Common names

Oriental coral snakes, Schmuckottern

 

  • 2. Bibron's coral snake
  • 3. Two striped coral snake
  • 4. Blue Malaysian coral snake, Blaue Bauchdrüsenotter
  • 5. Castoe's coral snake
  • 6. Gray coral snake, Spotted coral snake
  • 7. Blood-bellied coral snake
  • 8. Banded Malaysian coral snake, Striped coral snake, Gestreifte Bauchdrüsenotter
  • 9. Speckled coral snake, Small spotted coral snake
  • 10. Indian coral snake
  • 11. Black coral snake
  • 12. Banded Malaysian coral snake, Striped coral snake, Gestreifte Bauchdrüsenotter
  • 13. Philippine banded coral snake
  • 14. Dinagat Island banded coral snake
  • 15. Sulu Islands abnded coral snake

Distribution

Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. See link "Distribution" at the top of the page for detailed information.

Biology

Slender body with a small head. Frequently conspicuous, contrasting colouring. Some species reach 1 m (eg. C. salitan), but most not much more than 50 cm. C. intestinalis 30 cm, C. bivirgatus up to 1.5 m.

Nocturnal, forest-dwelling snakes that rarely come into contact with humans. C. intestinalis sometimes also found in open regions and cultivated areas. They are not aggressive when encountered. Appearance and colouring of C. bivirgata strikingly similar to Bungarus flaviceps. A peculiarity of these latter two species is that they possess excessively large venom glands that extend into the body.

Risk

Bites from these snakes are evidently rare. However, they are still considered potentially dangerous. There are reports of one case of a fatal bite from C. bivirgata in a child (Harrison 1957) and one case of signs of systemic envenoming with C. intestinalis (Jakobson 1937).

Literature (biological)

Castoe et al. 2007, Cox 1991, Daniel 1983, Doras 1978, De Silva 1990, Deuve 1970, Leviton et al. 2018, Fukuyama et al. 2020, Liat 1990, Saint Girons 1972, Slowinski et al. 2001, Smith et al. 2008, Tweedie 1983, Withaker and Captain 2008, Zhao 1990

The Reptile Database