Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Reptilia
- Order: Squamata
- Family: Elapidae
- Genus: Calliophis
- Species: Calliophis bibroni
- Authority: Boulenger, 1896
Common name
- Bibron’s coral snake (named in honor of French herpetologist Gabriel Bibron).
Description
Calliophis bibroni is a small to medium‑sized elapid snake. Like other members of the genus Calliophis, it possesses a flattened, laterally compressed body and a short, rounded head. Colouration is typically bright, featuring contrasting bands or spots of red, black, and sometimes yellow, which serve as aposematic warning signals. Precise pattern details can vary among populations, and comprehensive morphological descriptions are limited in the published literature.
Distribution and habitat
- Reported from parts of mainland Southeast Asia, specifically Myanmar and Thailand.
- Inhabits low‑land tropical forest environments, frequently encountered in leaf litter, under logs, or within shaded understory.
Behaviour and ecology
- Primarily nocturnal and secretive.
- Diet consists mainly of small amphibians (especially frogs) and lizards; occasional consumption of other small vertebrates has been noted in related Calliophis species.
- Reproduction is oviparous, with females laying a small clutch of elongated eggs; specific clutch size and incubation data for C. bibroni are not well documented.
Venom
- As an elapid, C. bibroni possesses a neurotoxic venom delivered via fixed front‑fangs.
- Human envenomation cases are extremely rare, and no detailed clinical reports are available in the scientific literature.
Conservation status
- The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has not evaluated Calliophis bibroni; its conservation status is therefore listed as “Not Evaluated.”
- Habitat loss due to deforestation and agricultural expansion may affect local populations, but specific population trends are undocumented.
References
- Reptile Database entry for Calliophis bibroni (accessed 2026).
- Boulenger, G. A. (1896). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History).
Note: Information on Calliophis bibroni is limited in the primary herpetological literature. Where details are lacking, the entry notes the insufficiency rather than conjecturing beyond available sources.
