Beddome's coral snake

Beddome's coral snake
Conservation status
	; Data Deficient (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Elapidae
Genus:	Calliophis
Species:	C. beddomei
Binomial name
	Calliophis beddomei; (M.A. Smith, 1943)
Synonyms
	Callophis [sic] beddomei; M.A. Smith, 1943; Maticora beddomei; — Welch, 1994; Calliophis beddomei; — I. Das, 1996;

Last updated October 02, 2025

Beddome's coral snake (Calliophis beddomei) is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to hills of peninsular India.^[2]

Etymology

C. beddomei is named after Richard Henry Beddome (1830-1911), British army officer and naturalist.^[3]

Geographic range and habitat

Beddome's coral snake is found in semi-evergreen and tropical dry deciduous hills in the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats of India, at altitudes of 550–1,100 m (1,800–3,610 ft). Being first described from the Shevaroy Hills or Yercaud, this species was later known from other parts of the Western Ghats. It is only known from three localities, Koppa, Nilgiri Mountains, and Shevaroy.^[1]

Description

C. beddomei may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 50 cm (20 in), with a tail length of 6.5 cm (2.6 in).^[4]

Behavior

C. beddomei is terrestrial.^[1]

Reproduction

C. beddomei is oviparous.^[2]

Threats and conservation

C. beddomei is not considered to be used for commercial use and is not known from any protected areas. However, it is listed in Schedule IV of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.^[1]

References

1 2 3 4 Ganesh, S.R. (2021). "Calliophis beddomei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021 e.T172615A158392318. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T172615A158392318.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
1 2 3 4 Calliophis beddomei at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 24 January 2014.
↑ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Calliophis beddomei, p. 21).
↑ Smith MA (1943).

Ganesh, S.R.; Ramanujam, Eric (2014). "Rediscovery of Beddome's Coralsnake Calliophis beddomei Smith, 1943 from the type locality". Journal of Threatened Taxa6 (3): 5580–5582.
Sharma, R.C. (2003). Handbook: Indian Snakes. Kolkata: Zoological Survey of India. 292 pp. ISBN 978-8181711694.
Slowinski, Joseph B.; Boundy, Jeff; Lawson, Robin (2001). "The phylogenetic relationships of Asian coral snakes (Elapidae: Calliophis and Maticora) based on morphological and molecular characters". Herpetologica57 (2): 233-245.
Smith, Malcolm Arthur (1943). The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. III.—Serpentes. London: Secretary of State for India. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xxii + 583 pp. (Callophis [sic] beddomei, new species, p. 423).

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[iucn_status_19_November_2021-1] 1 2 3 4 Ganesh, S.R. (2021). "Calliophis beddomei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021 e.T172615A158392318. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T172615A158392318.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.

[RDB-2] 1 2 3 4 Calliophis beddomei at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 24 January 2014.

[3] Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Calliophis beddomei, p. 21).

[4] Smith MA (1943).

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