MacClelland's coral snake (Sinomicrurus macclellandi)

Species of Thailand

MacClelland's coral snake

Sinomicrurus macclellandi

(Johannes Theodor Reinhardt, 1844)

In Thai: งูปล้องหวายลายขวั้นดำ, ngu plong wai lai khwan dam

Sinomicrurus macclellandi, commonly known as MacClelland's coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to southern and eastern Asia.

Etymology

The specific name, macclellandi, is in honor of John McClelland, a physician and naturalist, who worked for the East India Company.

Description

S. macclellandi is a small snake, about 40 - 80 cm in total length (including tail), and has a thin body. Dorsally, it is reddish-brown, with thin, black cross bars, and its belly is creamy white. 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. The dorsal scales on the body are smooth, and they are arranged, at midbody, in 13 parallel longitudinal rows.

Geographic range

S. macclellandi is found in northern and northeastern India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, northern Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, central and southern China (including Hong Kong, Hainan, north to Gansu and Shaanxi), Taiwan, and Ryukyu Islands (Japan). It is also found in Laos.

Subspecies

Three subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies:

Sinomicrurus macclellandi macclellandi
Sinomicrurus macclellandi nigriventer – India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand)
Sinomicrurus macclellandi univirgatus – Nepal, India (Sikkim

Behavior and habitat

S. macclellandi 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.

Diet

S. macclellandi preys on small reptiles, such as lizards and snakes.

Venom

Like other elapids, S. macclellandi 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 instant heart failure, although there have been only a few human deaths recorded in Thailand.

Reproduction

S. macclellandi is an oviparous species. Mature females lay clutches of 6–14 eggs.

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Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Sinomicrurus
Species: Sinomicrurus macclellandi

Common names

German: MacClellands Korallenotter
English: MacClelland’s coral snake
Thai: งูปล้องหวายลายขวั้นดำ, ngu plong wai lai khwan dam

Subspecies

Sinomicrurus macclellandi iwasakii, Moichirō Maki, 1935
Sinomicrurus macclellandi macclellandi, Johannes Theodor Reinhardt, 1844
Sinomicrurus macclellandi swinhoei, John Van Denburgh, 1912
Sinomicrurus macclellandi univirgatus, Albert Charles Lewis Günther, 1858

Synonyms

Sinomicrurus macclellandi, Utpal Smart et al. (2021)
Calliophis macclellandi, Utpal Smart et al. (2021)
Sinomicrurus nigriventer, Zeeshan A. Mirza et al. (2020)
Sinomicrurus macclellandi, Van Stanley Bartholomew Wallach et al. (2014)
Calliophis macclellandi macclellandi, T.S.N. Murthy (2010)
Sinomicrurus macclellandi iwasakii, Nguyen Van Sang et al. (2009)
Sinomicrurus macclellandi swinhoei, Nguyen Van Sang et al. (2009)
Sinomicrurus macclellandi univirgatus, Nguyen Van Sang et al. (2009)
Sinomicrurus macclellandi, Thomas Ziegler et al. (2007)
Sinomicrurus macclellandi iwasakii, Richard C Goris & Norio Maeda (2004)
Calliophis macclellandi iwasakii, Staniszewski (2003)
Sinomicrurus macclellandi, Alan E. Leviton et al. (2003)
Hemibungarus macclellandii, Nikolai L. Orlov et al. (2003)
Hemibungarus macclellandii, Gruber in H. Hermann Schleich & Werner Kästle (2002)
Sinomicrurus macclellandi, Joseph Bruno Slowinski, Jeff Boundy & R. Lawson (2001)
Hemibungarus macclellandi macclellandi, Tanya Chan-Ard et al. (1999)
Calliophis macclellandi, Merel J. Cox et al. (1998)
Micrurus macclellandi swinhoei, Kenneth R. G. Welch (1994)
Micrurus macclellandi univirgatus, Kenneth R. G. Welch (1994)
Micrurus macclellandi iwasakii, Kenneth R. G. Welch (1994)
Micrurus macclellandi macclellandi, Kenneth R. G. Welch (1994)
Micrurus macclellandi, Kenneth R. G. Welch (1994)
Hemibungarus macclellandi, Philippe Golay et al. (1993)
Calliophis maclellandi univirgatus, Eugen Kramer (1977)
Callophis macclellandi, Malcolm Arthur Smith (1943)
Calliophis iwasakii, Moichirō Maki (1935)
Sinomicrurus macclellandi iwasakii, Moichirō Maki (1935)
Sinomicrurus macclellandii swinhoei, John Van Denburgh (1912)
Callophis sic formosensis, Joseph Cheesman Thompson (1912)
Calliophis swinhoei, John Van Denburgh (1912)
Callophis macclellandi (var. typica), Francis Esmond Wingate Venning (1910)
Calliophis macclellandii var. gorei, Frank Wall (1909)
Callophis maclellandii sic, Frank Wall (1908)
Calliophis macclellandii, Leonhard Hess Stejneger (1907)
Callophis sic annularis, Albert Charles Lewis Günther (1888)
Callophis macclellandii, John Anderson (1871)
Callophis sic annularis, Albert Charles Lewis Günther (1864)
Sinomicrurus macclellandii univirgatus, Albert Charles Lewis Günther (1858)
Elaps univirgatus, Albert Charles Lewis Günther (1858)
Elaps personatus, Edward Blyth (1855)
Elaps macclellandii, Johannes Theodor Reinhardt (1844)
Sinomicrurus macclellandii macclellandii, Johannes Theodor Reinhardt (1844)
Elaps macclellandi, Johannes Theodor Reinhardt (1844)

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Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)

Photos

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Sinomicrurus macclellandi - Sai Yok Disctrict, Kanchanaburi

Distribution map of MacClelland's coral snake, Sinomicrurus macclellandi in Thailand — Range map of Sinomicrurus macclellandi in Thailand

Thai National Parks

Species of Thailand