Featured Book
Elapids For Sale
Unable to open template sample-template.html, exiting
Indian Coral Snake (Calliophis melanurus)
Order: Squamata
Family: Elapidae (fixed front- fang venomous snakes)
Other common names: Indian Coral Snake or Slender Coral Snake
Distinguishing Features
The Indian Coral Snakes are light brown and to some extent speckled. Their head and neck are black with two prominent yellow spots on top of the head. A shabby black ring is seen at their tail-base and tail-tip. The underside is consistent pinkish-red, bright scarlet at the vent and the underside of tail is bluish. Their heads are blunt and have the same width as the neck. Scales are smooth and faintly glossy. Average length is 25-35 cm with the average diameter being 5 mm.
Geographical Range
This species is distributed in most parts of India on the plains, except Central and North-western India.
Habitat
Mostly Indian Coral Snakes are seen in the coastal scrub jungles, under leaves, brick and rubble piles, and sandy patches.
Life History
They are mainly nocturnal snakes, but on rare occasions become active in the early morning hours in the cooler months. They are fine burrowers in sandy soil and can lay motion-less with just their head noticeable. In excitement, they will curl their tails up and wave it, exhibiting their startling underside colours, thus mocking attention from the head.
Not much knowledge is gathered about the reproduction of this snake, except that all Indian Coral Snakes are egg-layers. Few North Indian species have been found laying 6-14 eggs.
They seem to feed on worm snakes.
Comments
This species is considered a rare one, as described in the literature. Also, Coral Snakes are forest species and hence their number is reducing due to the declining forest areas in our country.
Evidently, nothing is known about the venom of these little relatives of Cobra.