Hemibungarus

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iHemibungarus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Elapidae Subfamily: Elapinae Genus: Hemibungarus Peters, 1862

Hemibungarus is a genus of venomous elapid snakes known commonly as Asian coral snakes or oriental coral snakes.

Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Distribution 3 Species 4 References

[edit] Taxonomy

Sources vary greatly on the number of species within the genus, several species have been moved back and forth between Calliophis and Hemibungarus, without much evidence to explain the reclassification. Only recent mitochondrial DNA sequencing has begun to clarify their taxonomy. The DNA has also been used to establish the relationship between the Asiatic coral snakes and the North American coral snakes. Slowinski, Boundy and Lawson gave the genus the name Sinomicrurus to show the closer relationship with the genus Micrurus, but the name is not generally accepted. The krait genus Bungarus, though has a similar scientific name, is only distantly related.

[edit] Distribution

Hemibungarus species are found in Taiwan and Japan.

[edit] Species

• Taiwanese Coral Snake, Hemibungarus hatori (Takahashi, 1930)
• Japanese Coral Snake, Hemibungarus japonicus (Günther, 1868)
• Taiwanese Coral Snake, Hemibungarus sauteri (Steindachner, 1913)

[edit] References

• Genus Hemibungarus at the EMBL Reptile Database
• Checklist of Indian Snakes - PDF