Calliophis macclellandi

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iMacClelland's Coral Snake

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Elapidae
Genus:	Calliophis
Species:	macclellandi

Binomial name

Calliophis macclellandi
(Reinhardt, 1844)

MacClelland's Coral Snake Calliophis macclellandi is a species of snake found in Southeast Asia.

1 Description
2 Distribution
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Description

Vertebral series of scales not enlarged; body scales in 13 parallel longitudinal rows; 1 preocular; 2 postoculars; 7 upper labials; temporals 1 + 1, the anterior shield in contact with 2 upper labials; color pattern red or brownish above with a series of narrow black transverse bars (some-times a narrow, black vertebral stripe with transverse black bars restricted to sides of body [Eastern Himalayas] or black transverse bars reduced to transverse vertebral spots [Assam, Upper Myanmar]) (according to Smith 1943:424); head black anteriorly reaching back to the level of the eyes, followed by a broad white band, which is bordered posteriorly by a black nuchal band; ventrals: males 182-212, females 208-244; subcaudals, mostly paired (occasionally single in a few males) 28-36, females 25-33.

Total length: males 635 mm, females 780 mm; tail length: males 70 mm, females 60 mm (LEVITON et al. 2003).

[edit] Distribution

India (Assam, Sikkim, Darjeeling; Arunachal Pradesh (Deban - Changlang district, Chessa, Chimpu - Papum Pare district), Nepal, N Myanmar (= Burma), Thailand, Vietnam, China (incl. Hong Kong, Hainan, north to Gansu and Shaanxi), Japan (Ryūkyū Islands), Taiwan. Race iwasakii is found in the Ryūkyū Islands (Ishigaki). Race swinhoei is found in Taiwan. Race univirgatus is found in Nepal, and Sikkim.

[edit] References

Reinhardt, J.T. 1844 Calcutta J. nat. Hist., 4: 532
Reinhardt 1861 Herpetologiske Middelelser. II. Beskrivelser af nogle nye til Calamariernes Familie henhörende Slänger. Vidensk. Meddel. Naturhist. Foren. Kjöbenhavn 2 [1860]: 229-250
Slowinski, Joseph B.; Boundy, Jeff & Lawson,R. 2001 The phylogenetic relationships of Asian coral snakes (Elapidae Calliophis and Maticora) based on morphological and molecular characters. Herpetologica 57 (2): 233-245