About Calliophis bivirgatus (Boie, 1827)
Calliophis bivirgatus was previously placed in the New World coral snake genus Maticora, until phylogenetic research showed it actually falls within the tropical coral snake clade Calliophis, and is the sister species to Calliophis intestinalis, the banded Malaysian coral snake. This is a medium-sized coral snake with a slender body. Adult individuals can reach up to 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) in length. It has a red head, red tail, and red belly. Its back is dark blue or black, and it usually has a broad blue or white stripe along each flank. Especially as juveniles, this species is often mistaken for the pink-headed reed snake (Calamaria schlegeli), since the two share similar habitat and appearance. However, the pink-headed reed snake is much smaller, reaching a maximum length of only 50 cm (20 in). The pink-headed reed snake is nonvenomous, while Calliophis bivirgatus is potentially lethal. This coral snake is also very similar in appearance to another venomous snake, the red-headed krait (Bungarus flaviceps). This terrestrial species is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Burma. It inhabits elevations between 100 and 1,100 metres (300 to 3,600 ft). Three subspecies are currently recognized: C. b. bivirgatus, found in Indonesia; C. b. flaviceps, found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Burma; and C. b. tetrataenia, found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.
