MacClelland's Coral Snake

MacClelland's coral snake is a small elapid distributed widely across South and Southeast Asia, from the Himalayan foothills through southern China to parts of Indochina and Taiwan. It carries neurotoxic venom, though bites to humans are rarely reported.

It belongs to the genus Sinomicrurus, a group of Asian coral snakes distinct from the American Micrurus group, and is one of the most frequently documented members of its genus.

• Slender body with smooth scales
• Orange-brown to reddish-brown dorsal ground color with narrow black crossbands
• Distinctive black head marked with pale bands or spots
• Small head, not clearly wider than the neck
• Round pupils

Its combination of a reddish body and patterned black head separates it from other regional coral snakes and non-venomous mimics.

Inhabits montane and submontane forest, often in leaf litter and moist soil, at moderate elevations. Its range spans the Himalayan foothills, southern China, northern Southeast Asia, and Taiwan.

Secretive and largely nocturnal, spending daylight hours hidden under leaf litter or in burrows. When threatened, it may raise and curl its tail as a warning display. Feeds primarily on small snakes and skinks. Reproduction is oviparous, with small clutches of eggs.