Blue Malayan coral snake, Blue malayan coral snake
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.
The Blue coral snake is a medium-sized is a highly venomous snake native to Southeast Asia. It has a red head, tail, and belly. The back is a dark blue to black in color, and it usually has a large blue or white stripe on each flank.
Blue coral snakes occur in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. They live in tropical moist forests, in lowland areas.
Blue coral snakes are terrestrial semi-fossorial creatures that usually spend most of their time hiding in the leaf litter on the forest floor. They are nocturnal and lead a solitary life. If disturbed Blue coral snakes typically flee, but they may remain in place with their red tail erect as a defensive message. Although their bite is potentially lethal, Blue coral snake venom has only occasionally caused human deaths. They have unusually long venom glands, extending to 25% of the length of the body. Their venom is especially important for hunting prey which consists mostly of other venomous snakes.
Blue coral snake venom has only 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 instead a unique cytotoxin called calliotoxin that causes near instantaneous paralysis by blocking the victims sodium channels. The venom also contains phosphodiesterases, which promote the release of adenosine, causing in turn hypotension, inflammation, and neurotransmitter blockade in prey items and other bite victims. This ability is especially important as their prey consists mostly of other venomous snakes. There is no known antidote, though there is hope that the venom may eventually prove useful in the management of chronic pain in humans.
Blue coral snakes are carnivores that specialize in preying on other venomous snakes; they are sometimes called 'killers of killers'.
Blue coral snakes are oviparous meaning that females lay their eggs.
There are no known major threats to this species at present.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Blue coral snake total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.
