Calliophis bivirgatus

Calliophis bivirgatus  is a species of snake in the family Elapidae known commonly as the blue coral snake or blue Malayan coral snake. It is native to Southeast Asia.

Geographic range and distribution
This terrestrial snake occurs in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Burma. It lives at 100 to 1100 meters in elevation.

There are three subspecies:
C. b. bivirgatus – Indonesia
C. b. flaviceps – Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Burma
C. b. tetrataenia – Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei

Description
This species was assigned to the new world coral snake genus Maticora until phylogenetic studies revealed this species to be nested within the tropical coral snake species clade Calliophis and sister species to Calliophis intestinalis, the banded Malaysian coral snake.

This is a medium-sized coral snake with a slender body. The adult can reach 1.8 meters long. It has a red head, tail and belly. The back is dark blue to black in color, and it usually has a large blue or white stripe on each flank.

The snake, especially when juvenile, is often confused with the pink-headed reed snake (Calamaria schlegeli) as they share similar habitat and appearance. But the latter is much smaller, reaching a maximum length of . The reed snake is nonvenomous, while the coral snake is potentially lethal. They also are very similar to another venomous snake, the red-headed krait (Bungarus flaviceps).

Biology
This uncommon snake is considered semi-fossorial and is found in the leaf litter of primary and secondary forests. It preys on other snakes. When threatened it usually flees, but it may remain in place with its red tail erect as a defensive message.

Venom
The potent venom has very occasionally caused human deaths. This species has unusually long venom glands, extending to 25% of the length of the body.

Unlike other snakes of the family Elapidae, its venom does not contain a neurotoxin. The toxic element is a cytotoxin that leads to the destruction of muscle tissue and is primarily a sodium channel blocker. Phosphodiesterases promote the release of adenosine, which causes hypotension, inflammation, and neurotransmitter blockade in prey items and other bite victims.

As they frequently feed on other venomous snakes, the venom has evolved to be extremely fast acting causing rapid convulsion and paralysis, and has more characteristics in common with scorpion venom. No antidote currently exists, and research is being conducted on the venom as potential alternative analgesics.

See also
 Ophiophagy

References

Further reading
 Boie F. 1827. "Bemerkungen über Merrem's Versuchs eines Systems der Amphibien. 1te Lieferung: Ophidier ". Isis von Oken 20: 508-566. (Elaps bivirgatus, p. 556).
 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. (Doliophis bivirgatus, pp. 400–401).
 Das I. 2006. A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Borneo. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 144 pp. . (Calliophis bivirgata [sic], p. 61).
Oshea, Mark; Halliday, Tim; Metcalf, Jonathan (editor). 2002. Reptiles and Amphibians: Smithsonian Handbooks. London: DK (Dorling Kinderley). 256 pp. .

Category:Elapidae
Category:Snakes of Asia
Category:Reptiles of Brunei
Category:Reptiles of Cambodia
Category:Reptiles of Indonesia
Category:Reptiles of Malaysia
Category:Reptiles of Singapore
Category:Reptiles of Thailand
Category:Reptiles described in 1827