Specimen seen in the Central Catchment Forest, Singapore.



 

Family : ELAPIDAE
Species : Maticora bivirgata
Maximum Size : 1.8 metres

References : H1, H2

Photo thanks to Julie Ebbinghaus

This is a beautiful, but highly venomous, front-fanged species - if bitten, its neurotoxic venom can cause death. It inhabits primary forest floors, but can also be found in mature secondary forest. Nocturnal in habits, it may sometimes be encountered stretched across forest trails in the early morning.

The body is dark blue, with a lighter blue stripe along each side. The head, tail and ventral surface are bright red. Its primary food source is other snakes.

There are 3 sub-species : Maticora bivirgata bivirgata inhabits Java, and M. b. flaviceps is found from Burma, Thailand and Cambodia through West Malaysia and Singapore to Sumatra and various islands of the Riau Archipelago. M. b. tetrataenia inhabits Borneo.