''Calliophis maculiceps'', commonly known as the speckled coral snake or the small-spotted coral snake, is a
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of
venomous
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
elapid
Elapidae (, commonly known as elapids , from , variant of "sea-fish") is a family (biology), family of snakes characterized by their permanently erect fangs at the front of the mouth. Most elapids are venomous, with the exception of the genus ...
snake
Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
.
Five
subspecies
In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...
are recognized, including the
nominotypical subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics ( morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. ...
.
Geographic range
''C. maculiceps'' is found in
Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
,
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
,
Laos
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
,
Cambodia
Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
, and
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
.
Subspecies
The following five subspecies are considered valid:
*''Calliophis maculiceps atrofrontalis''
( Sauvage, 1877)
*''Calliophis maculiceps hughi''
( Cochran, 1927)
*''Calliophis maculiceps maculiceps''
( Günther, 1858)
*''Calliophis maculiceps michaelis''
Deuve, 1961
*''Calliophis maculiceps smithi''
Klemmer, 1963
''
Nota bene
( ; plural: ) is the Latin language, Latin phrase meaning ''note well''.
In manuscripts, ''nota bene'' is abbreviated in upper-case as NB and N.B., and in lower-case as n.b. and nb; the editorial usages of ''nota bene'' and ''notate bene'' fi ...
'': A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
other than ''Calliophis''.
References
Further reading
*
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''
ic''maculiceps'', p. 384).
* 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. (''Callophis''
ic''maculiceps'', pp. 397–398).
* Golay P,
Smith HM,
Broadley DG,
Dixon JR, McCarthy CJ, Rage J-C, Schätti B, Toriba M. 1993. ''Endoglyphs and Other Major Venomous Snakes of the World. A Checklist''. Geneva: Azemiops Herpetological Data Center. xv + 478 pp.
*
Günther A. 1858. ''Catalogue of the Colubrine Snakes in the Collection of the British Museum.'' London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xvi + 281 pp. (''Elaps maculiceps'', p. 232).
* Manthey U, Grossmann W. 1997. ''Amphibien und Reptilien Südostasiens''. Münster: Natur und Tier Verlag. 512 pp. . (''Calliophis maculiceps'', p. 420).
*
Smith MA. 1943. ''The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. III.—Serpentes.'' London: Secretary of State for India. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 583 pp. (''Callophis''
ic''maculiceps'', pp. 420–421).
External links
Photo of ''Calliophis maculiceps'' in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand
maculiceps
Reptiles of Myanmar
Reptiles of Thailand
Reptiles of Laos
Reptiles of Cambodia
Reptiles of Vietnam
Reptiles described in 1858
Taxa named by Albert Günther
Snakes of Vietnam
Snakes of Asia
{{Elapidae-stub