Calliophis Bivirgatus Species Information and Facts

The Calliophis bivirgatus, also known as the Banded Coral Snake, is a fascinating species found in Southeast Asia.

This snake is relatively small, reaching a maximum length of about 60 cm.

It has a distinctive pattern of bands that run along its body, which is a key identification feature.

The Banded Coral Snake is a member of the Elapidae family, which includes venomous snakes.

It is a terrestrial snake, spending most of its time on the ground.

Its diet consists mainly of small animals, such as lizards and rodents.

The Banded Coral Snake is a solitary animal and is not typically found in groups.

The calliophis bivirgatus is a semi-fossorial snake found in the leaf litter of primary and secondary forests.

It preys on other snakes and has a unique defense mechanism where it may remain in place with its red tail erect when threatened.

The snake's venom is made up of complex compounds, including calliotoxin, which was purified and analyzed through Edman degradation, resulting in the identification of 47 amino acid residues.

This process involved reducing the venom with DTT and alkylation with iodoacetamide, followed by desalting and purification using RP-HPLC.

The venom gland transcriptomics of the calliophis bivirgatus were also studied, revealing the full sequence of δ-elapitoxin-Cb1a through Illumina sequencing and BLAST matching.

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Edman degradation is a technique used to determine the amino acid sequence of a protein, and in this case, it was carried out by the Australian Proteome Analysis Facility.

The process involved solubilizing purified native calliotoxin in a solution of ammonium bicarbonate and 10% ACN, then reducing it with DTT at 56°C for 0.5 hours.

The reaction mix was then desalted and purified using RP-HPLC on a Zorbax 300SB-C18 column, followed by a vacuum reduction in volume.

The resulting sample was then loaded onto a precycled, Biobrene-treated disc and subjected to 60 cycles of Edman N-terminal sequencing using an Applied Biosystems 494 Procise Protein Sequencing System.

This resulted in the unambiguous identification of 47 amino acid residues.

Venom gland transcriptomics were conducted by the IMB Sequencing Facility to identify the full sequence of δ-elapitoxin-Cb1a.

The process involved preparing libraries with the TruSeq Stranded mRNA kit and sequencing them on the Illumina NextSeq 500 using 2 × 150 bp reads and V2 chemistry.

The forward and reverse sequences were then merged using MacQIIME's join_paired_end.py and matched to the sequence determined by Edman degradation using standalone BLAST.

This snake is considered semi-fossorial, meaning it spends a significant amount of time underground or in leaf litter.

It can be found in primary and secondary forests, where it makes its home in the leaf litter.

This snake preys on other snakes, making it a unique predator in its ecosystem.

Its defensive strategy involves fleeing when threatened, but it may also stand its ground with its red tail erect as a warning sign.

Calliophis bivirgatus, a species of snake found in Southeast Asia, has been extensively studied in the region.

Research on this species has been ongoing for several years, with a focus on its habitat and behavior.

The snake is typically found in areas with high humidity, such as rainforests and mangrove swamps.

It is a relatively small species, reaching lengths of up to 1 meter.

The study of Calliophis bivirgatus has also shed light on its unique characteristics, including its ability to live in close proximity to humans.

This species is also known to be active at night, which is likely an adaptation to avoid predators.

In addition to its nocturnal behavior, the snake is also a skilled climber, often found in trees and bushes.

The study of Calliophis bivirgatus has provided valuable insights into the biology and ecology of this fascinating species.

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Calliophis bivirgatus is commonly known as the banded coral snake. It belongs to the family Elapidae.

This species is a type of venomous snake found in the tropical regions of Southeast Asia.