| MacClelland's Coral Snake | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Sinomicrurus |
| Species: | macclellandi |
| Binomial name | |
| Sinomicrurus macclellandi (Reinhardt, 1844) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Calliophis macclellandi |
|
Sinomicrurus macclellandi or MacClelland's Coral Snake is a species of snake found in India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal, China, Taiwan, and Japan.
Contents |
It is a small snake, about 40–80 centimetres (16–31 in) long. It has a thin, reddish-brown body, with thin, black cross bars, and a creamy white belly. The head is small, round and black in color, with a broad, creamy white transverse band, and black outlines at the middle of the head. Body scales are smooth, and arranged in 13 parallel longitudinal midbody dorsal scales.
It is found in Northern India (Assam, Sikkim, Darjeeling); Arunachal Pradesh (Deban – Changlang district, Chessa, Chimpu – Papum Pare district), Nepal, N Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Vietnam, Central and Southern China (including Hong Kong, Hainan, north to Gansu and Shaanxi), Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Taiwan.
Subspecies iwasakii is found in Ishigaki Island and other Ryukyu Islands in Japan. Subspecies swinhoei is found in Taiwan. Subspecies univirgatus is found in Nepal, and Sikkim.
It is mainly nocturnal and terrestrial. It occurs in forest litter, hillside, and lowland. It is often found hiding under leaves. Although this is a venomous species, it is quite docile and not likely to strike actively. It preys on small reptiles, such as lizards and snakes.
Like other elapidae, it possesses a potent neurotoxic venom, which is capable of killing a person. Bite symptoms include numbness of lips and difficulty of speech and breathing, followed by blurred vision. Severe bite victims may die of respiratory failure, although there have been only a few human deaths recorded in Thailand.
