Speckled Coral Snake

Speckled Coral Snake (Calliophis maculiceps) is a snake recorded for Vietnam in the project inventory. Its supporting occurrence note is “Expert range list”. The accepted scientific name is retained because regional snake taxonomy and species boundaries can change, while similar-looking species may require scale counts, anatomy or genetic evidence for reliable separation. This profile therefore distinguishes the recorded identity and occurrence from broader biological context instead of inventing unsupported locality, size, diet or breeding details (project species data; Reptile Database taxonomy).

Calliophis coral snakes are small, secretive venomous elapids that spend much of their time beneath leaf litter, loose soil or other ground cover. Their narrow bodies suit movement through confined spaces, and they prey broadly on elongate vertebrates such as small snakes. Colour patterns vary and should not be used as the sole basis for identification or handling decisions. These are genus-level notes, not documented Vietnamese observations of this species; exact size, habitat and reproduction are therefore omitted (general Calliophis account; Reptile Database).