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Bungarus flaviceps REINHARDT, 1843

IUCN Red List - Bungarus flaviceps - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaElapidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
SubspeciesBungarus flaviceps flaviceps REINHARDT 1843
Bungarus flaviceps baluensis LOVERIDGE 1938 
Common NamesE: Red-headed Krait
G: Rotkopf-Krait 
SynonymBungarus flaviceps REINHARDT 1843: 267
Elaps bivirgatus (nec Elaps bivirgatus BOIE 1827) — SCHLEGEL 1837
? Elaps bi-virgatus — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854: 1230
Bungarus flaviceps — GÜNTHER 1858
Megaerophis flaviceps — GÜNTHER 1864
Megaerophis flaviceps — SCLATER 1891
Maticora intermedia WESTERMANN 1942 (fide ISKANDAR & MUMPUNI 2002)
Bungarus flaviceps — SMITH 1943
Bungarus flaviceps flaviceps — BRONGERSMA 1948
Bungarus flaviceps — GRANDISON 1972: 93
Bungarus flaviceps — WELCH 1994: 37
Bungarus flaviceps — MANTHEY & GROSSMANN 1997: 418
Bungarus flaviceps — COX et al. 1998: 31
Bungarus flaviceps — MATTISON 2007: 257
Bungarus flaviceps — WALLACH et al. 2014: 129

Bungarus flaviceps baluensis LOVERIDGE 1938
Bungarus flaviceps baluensis — MANTHEY 1983
Bungarus flaviceps baluensis — NGUYEN et al. 2009 
DistributionS Thailand, S Myanmar (= Burma), Cambodia, Vietnam,
W Malaysia, Pulau Tioman, Indonesia (Bangka, Sumatra, Billiton, Borneo)

baluensis: Malaysia (East Malaysia, Sabah, Borneo); Type locality: Kenoko, Mt. Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Type locality: see comment  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: ZMUC R65301
Holotype: MCZ R-43601 [baluensis] 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: Dorsal scales in 13 longitudinal rows at midbody; expanded neural crest of vertebrae forms distinct ridge down back and tail; subcaudal scutes undivided, anteriorly those near the tip divided; ventrals: males 220– 236, females 193–217; subcaudals: males 47–53, females 42– 54. Black above; orange-yellow dorsal stripe often present; interstitial skin orange-yellow giving appearance of longitudinal stripes; head orange-yellow; tail and posterior part of body orange-yellow; belly orange or yellow, sometimes edged with brown. (After Smith, 1943:411.) Total length 1850 mm; tail length 220 mm. 
CommentVenomous!

Distribution: doubtful in Java (De Lang 2017) although the original type locality is Java (probably in error). 
EtymologyNamed after Latin flavus = yellow and “ceps” = head, although the head is usuall red (or brown) but rarely yellow. 
References
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