Malaysian Blue Coral Snake

blue coral snake facts,malaysian blue coral snake for sale,blue malaysian coral snake facts,
calliophis bivirgata,oriental coral snake,

Calliophis bivirgatus, or Maticora bivirgata, commonly called the blue Malaysian coral snake is a venomous elapid snake. It was first described, as a new species in scientific literature, by Friedrich Boie in 1827.

It is found in western Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. It is a medium-sized coral snake with a slender body. Adults are usually 140 centimetres (5 ft) long, though larger specimens have been captured. The color is indigo or deep blue with light blue or white stripes along each side of the body. The head, venter, and tail are usually bright red. It has a blunt snout with a pair of small eyes on the sides of the head.

The snake, especially when juvenile, is often confused with the pink-headed reed snake (Calamaria schlegeli) as they share similar habitat and appearance. But the latter is much smaller (max. 50 cm) than fully grown Calliophis bivirgatus. It may be dangerous to confuse these two species as the reed snake is a nonvenomous snake, whereas the blue Malaysian coral snake has a potentially lethal venom.

The venom is very potent and has caused deaths. Like other Elapidae, its venom is primarily neurotoxic. The bite initially has few or even no symptoms. However, after several minutes, the victim may feel numbness near the wound and lip. Soon, the victim may feel difficulty in breathing. Death is a result of respiratory failure. The venom glands of this species are exceptionally long and extend beyond the jaw for one-third the length of the body