Hemibungarus

Taxobox
name = "Hemibungarus"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
subphylum = Vertebrata
classis = Reptilia
ordo = Squamata
subordo = Serpentes
familia = Elapidae
subfamilia = Elapinae
genus = "Hemibungarus"
genus_authority = Peters, 1862

"Hemibungarus" is a genus of venomous elapid snakes known commonly as Asian coral snakes or oriental coral snakes.

Taxonomy

Sources vary greatly on the number of species within the genus, several species have been moved back and forth between "Calliophis" and "Hemibungarus", without much evidence to explain the reclassification. Only recent mitochondrial DNA sequencing has begun to clarify their taxonomy. The DNA has also been used to establish the relationship between the Asiatic coral snakes and the North American coral snakes. Slowinski, Boundy and Lawson gave the genus the name "Sinomicrurus" to show the closer relationship with the genus "Micrurus", but the name is not generally accepted. The krait genus "Bungarus", though has a similar scientific name, is only distantly related.

Distribution

"Hemibungarus" species are found in Taiwan and Japan.

Species

*Taiwanese Coral Snake, "Hemibungarus hatori" (Takahashi, 1930)
*Japanese Coral Snake, "Hemibungarus japonicus" (Günther, 1868)
*Taiwanese Coral Snake, "Hemibungarus sauteri" (Steindachner, 1913)

References

*EMBL genus|genus=Hemibungarus
* [http://www.bio.utexas.edu/grad/sp/pubs/Indian%20Snakes-Checklist.pdf Checklist of Indian Snakes] - PDF