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  5. Biological entry: Sinomicrurus spp.

Animal: Sinomicrurus spp., Asian coral snakes

Formerly genus Calliophis

Species

  1. Sinomicrurus annularis
  2. Sinomicrurus boettgeri
  3. Sinomicrurus gorei
  4. Sinomicrurus iwasakii
  5. Sinomicrurus japonicus
  6. Sinomicrurus kelloggi
  7. Sinomicrurus macclellandi
  8. Sinomicrurus peinani
  9. Sinomicrurus sauteri
  10. Sinomicrurus swinhoei

The genus Sinomicrurus (formerly genus Calliophis), together with the genus Hemibungarus, are now termed “Asian coral snakes”.

This taxon underwent a substantial taxonomic revision (Smart et al. 2021). By means of molecular anlysis and internal and external morphological features following changes are described:

  • The insular supspecies Sinomicrurus macclellandi iwasakii (Southern Ryukyus) and S. macclellandi swinhoei (Taiwan) are raised into seperate species level: Sinomicrurus iwasakii and Sinomicrurus swinhoei
  • Sinomicrurus annularis is resurrected as a species
  • The two subspecies of Sinomicrurus japonicus are raised into species level: Sinomicrurus japonicus and Sinomicrurus boettgeri
  • Sinomicrurus hatori is sunk into Sinomicrurus sauteri
  • Sinomicrurus nigriventer is sunk into Sinomicrurus macclellandi
  • Sinomicrurus houi is synonymized under Sinomicrurus kelloggi
  • Previously recognised as a color variant of Sinomicrurus macclellandi, Sinomicrurus gorei has been raised into full species level (Biakzuala et al. 2024)

Taxonomy

Serpentes; Elapidae; Elapinae

Common names

Asian coral snakes

  1. Boettger's coral snake
  2. Gore's coral snake
  3. Iwasaki's temperate Asian coral snake
  4. Japanese coral snake
  5. Kellogg's coral snake
  6. MacClelland's coral snake
  7. Guangxi coral snake
  8. Swinhoe's temperate Asian coralsnake

Distribution

See link "Distribution" at the top of the page for detailed information.

From India, China and Southeast Asia to Japan.

Sinomicrurus spp.

Biology

Slender body with a small head. Frequently conspicuous, contrasting colouring. Some species reach 1 m, but most not much more than 50 cm. Nocturnal, forest-dwelling snakes that rarely come into contact with humans. They are not aggressive when encountered.

Risk

Bites from these snakes are evidently rare. However, they are still considered potentially dangerous.

Kramer (1977) reports the fatal case in Nepal, where his friend Hans Schnurrenberger, a hobby herpetologist, died 8 hours after a bite by a juvenile Calliophis macclellandi (=Sinomicrurus macclellandi). Neurotoxic symptoms with movement impairment started 6 hours after the bite and death was caused by respiratory paralysis.

Literature (biological)

Biakzuala et al 2024, Castoe et al. 2007, Cox 1991, Daniel 1983, Doras 1978, De Silva 1990, Deuve 1970, Liat 1990, Liu et al. 2020, Peng et al. 2018, Saint Girons 1972, Slowinski et al. 2001, Smart et al. 2021, Smith et al. 2008, Tweedie 1983, Zhao 1990

The Reptile Database

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