Black coral snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black coral snake |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Calliophis
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| Species: |
nigrescens
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| Synonyms | |
The black coral snake or striped coral snake (scientific name: Calliophis nigriscens) is a type of venomous snake. It belongs to the elapid family, which includes cobras and mambas. This snake is special because it is endemic to the Western Ghats mountain range in India. This means it is found naturally only in that specific area.
Where It Lives
This snake lives in the Western Ghats region of India. You can find it in places like Karwar, Wayanad, Nilgiris, Anamalai, and the Travancore hills. It usually lives at high altitudes, between 4,000 and 6,000 feet (about 1,200 to 1,800 meters) above sea level.
What It Looks Like
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The black coral snake has a unique look. Its head and neck are black. It also has a yellow band on each side of its head, starting from the back and going towards the mouth. The upper lip is yellow around the eyes. The underside of the snake is usually a solid red color.
This snake comes in many different colors, even though they are all the same species. These color types can slowly change into one another.
Here are some of the color patterns you might see:
- Some snakes are dark purplish-brown on top. They might have three or five lines of black spots with light edges.
- Other snakes have these spots joined together. This forms three long black stripes that have whitish edges.
- Some look like a mix of the two patterns above.
- You might also see snakes that are dark purplish-brown on top with three or five black stripes that are not light-edged.
- Finally, some are pale reddish-brown or red on top, with five black stripes.
These snakes can grow to be about 110 centimeters (43 inches) long. Their tail is usually around 11.5 centimeters (4.5 inches) long.
