Calliophis nigrescens

Calliophis nigriscens
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Calliophis
Species: C. nigrescens
Binomial name
Calliophis nigrescens
(Günther, 1862)[2]
Synonyms
  • Callophis [sic] nigrescens
    Günther, 1862
  • Callophis concinnus Beddome, 1863
  • Callophis pentalineatus
    Beddome, 1871
  • Hemibungarus nigrescens
    — Boulenger, 1896
  • Maticora nigriscens
    — Golay et al., 1993
  • Calliophis nigriscens
    — Slowinski et al., 2001[3]

Calliophis nigriscens, commonly known as the black coral snake or striped coral snake, is a species of venomous elapid snake endemic to India.[3]

Geographic range

It is found in India in the Western Ghats, Karwar, Wayanad, Nilgiris, Anamalai, and the Travancore hills at 4,000–6,000 feet (1,200–1,800 m).

Description

See snake scales for terms used.

Rostral broader than long; frontal as long as its distance from the end of the snout, much shorter than the parietals; one preocular and two postoculars; a single temporal; seven upper labials, third and fourth entering the eye; anterior chin shields as long as the posterior or a little shorter, in contact with four labials.

Dorsal scales in 13 rows. Ventrals 232-261; anal usually divided; subcaudals 33-44.

This species comprises several colour varieties, which are connected by insensible gradations; in all the head and nape are black, with an oblique yellow band, sometimes broken up into spots, on each side from the parietals to behind the angle of the mouth, and the upper lip is yellow in front of and behind the eye; lower parts uniform red.[4]

Color variations include the following:

Total length 110 cm (43 in); tail 11.5 cm (4 1⁄2 in).[2]

References

  1. ↑ Srinivasulu, C. & Srinivasulu, B. (2013). "Calliophis nigrescens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Boulenger GA. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ), ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I-XXV. (Hemibungarus nigriscens, pp. 394-395).
  3. 1 2 Calliophis nigriscens at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 4 March 2014.
  4. ↑ Boulenger GA. 1890. The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. (Callophis [sic] nigrescens, pp. 384-385).

Further reading

External links

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