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Aspidelaps lubricus (LAURENTI, 1768)

IUCN Red List - Aspidelaps lubricus - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaElapidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
SubspeciesAspidelaps lubricus cowlesi BOGERT 1940
Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus (LAURENTI 1768) 
Common NamesE: cowlesi: Angolan Coral Snake
infuscatus: Western Coral Snake
lubricus: Cape Coral Snake
G: Kap-Zwergschildkobra, Schildnasenkobra, Kapkorallen­schlange 
SynonymNatrix lubrica LAURENTI 1768: 80
Elaps lubricus MERREM 1820: 143
Naia Somersetta SMITH 1826: 253
Elaps lubricus — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854: 1218
Aspidelaps lubricus — STERNFELD 1910: 57
Aspidelaps lubricus — FITZSIMONS & BRAIN 1958
Aspidelaps lubricus — BRANCH 1981
Aspidelaps lubricus — WELCH 1994: 19
Aspidelaps lubricus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 56
Aspidelaps lubricus — SCHLEICHER 2020

Aspidelaps lubricus cowlesi BOGERT 1940
Aspidelaps lubricus cowlesi BOGERT 1940: 94
Aspidelaps lubricus infuscatus MERTENS 1954: 215
Aspidelaps lubricus infuscatus — WELCH 1994: 19
Aspidelaps lubricus infuscatus — BAUER et al. 1993
Aspidelaps lubricus cowlesi — WELCH 1994: 19
Aspidelaps lubricus cowlesi — BROADLEY & BALDWIN 2006
Aspidelaps lubricus infuscatus — CIMATTI 2007
Aspidelaps lubricus cowlesi — DOBIEY & VOGEL 2007
Aspidelaps lubricus infuscatus — SCHLEICHER 2015: 212
Aspidelaps lubricus infuscatus — MARQUES et al. 2018
Aspidelaps lubricus cowlesi — LOBÓN-ROVIRA et al. 2025

Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus (LAURENTI 1768)
Natrix lubrica LAURENTI 1768: 80
Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus — WELCH 1994: 19
Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus — DOBIEY & VOGEL 2007
Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus — BATES et al. 2014: 394 
DistributionRepublic of South Africa (Cape Province), S Angola, Namibia

lubricus: Cape Province, Orange Free State

cowlesi: S Angola, N Namibia; Type locality: “Munhino (101 km east of Mossamedes, via railroad)” (Bogert 1940:95) [= Muninho, 101 km east of Namibe], Namibe Province, Angola.

infuscatus: Namibia

Type locality: Cape of Good Hope  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: iconotype, based on specimen in Seba, 1735: pl. 43, fig. 3.
Holotype: AMNH 32801 (collectors A.S. Vernay, H. Lang and R. Boulton). [cowlesi] 
DiagnosisUnfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 5732 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentVenomous!

BROADLEY & BALDWIN synonymized Aspidelaps lubricus infuscatus with A. l. cowlesi.

Type species: Elaps lubricus MERREM 1820 is the type species of the genus Aspidelaps FITZINGER 1843: 28.

Key: Branch 1981 provides a key to Southern African species.

Behavior: Although usually considered relatively harmless, this belief may stem from their small size, and the presence of few published case-histories. However, A. l. infuscatus , at least, has a highly toxic venom, and is capable of inflicting a potentially dangerous bite. (Branch 1981)

Distribution: see map in Schillert 2025 (includes subspecies)

Habitat: In habits both species are semi-fossorial, and to this end the enlarged rostral may be likened to a bulldozer-blade, aiding the snake in burrowing through loose soil. This character is shared by a number of other semi-fossorial shakes, noticeable the coiubrids Lytorhynchus and PhyIlorhynchus. A. Iubricus has a less well-developed rostral than scutatus, and this may be correlated with the more arid regions that it inhabits. (Branch 1981)

Genome: Nachtigall et al. 2025. 
EtymologyThe genus was named after Latin Aspis, snake genus due to Laurenti, 1768 + Latin Elaps, snake genus due to Schneider, 1801. [?]. 
References
  • Akeret, B. 2004. Grundlagen der Giftschlangenhaltung. Draco 5 (17): 37-53 - get paper here
  • BARTS, M. & J. BOONE 2009. Das Portät: Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus (LAURENTI). Sauria 31 (1): 1-2 - get paper here
  • Bates, M.F.; Branch, W.R., Bauer, A.M.; Burger, M., Marais, J.; Alexander, G.J. & de Villliers, M.S. (eds.) 2014. Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland. Suricata 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 512 pp.
  • Bauer, A.M., and Branch, W.R. 2003. The herpetofauna of the Richtersveld National Park, Northern Cape Province, Republic of South Africa. Herpetological Natural History 8: 111-160 [2001]
  • Bauer, Aaron M.; Branch, William R. & Haacke, Wulf D. 1993. The herpetofauna of the Kamanjab area and adjacent Damaraland, Namibia. Madoqua (Windhoek) 18 (2): 117-145. - get paper here
  • Berg, Philipp & Francois Theart 2022. Bildungsarbeit zur Vermeidung von Mensch-Schlange-Konflikten in Namibia. Elaphe 2022 (5): 46-53
  • Bogert,C.M. 1940. Herpetological results of the Vernay Angola Expedition. I. Snakes, including an arrangement of the African Colubridae. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 77: 1-107 - get paper here
  • Böhm, H.-U. & Oellers, R. 1987. Bemerkungen zur Haltung und Nachzucht von Vertretern der Elapiden-Gattung Aspidelaps FITZNGER 1843. Herpetofauna 9 (51): 15-18 - get paper here
  • Branch, W. R. 1981. The venomous snakes of southern Africa 2. Elapidae and Hydrophidae. Bull. Maryland Herp. Soc. 17 (1): 1-47 - get paper here
  • Branch, W.R. 1981. Venom of the South West African Coral Snake, Aspidelaps l. infuscatus. J. Herp. Assoc. Africa (25): 2-4 - get paper here
  • Branch, William R. 1993. A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 144 S.
  • Broadley, Donald G., and Andrew S. Baldwin 2006. Taxonomy, natural history, and zoogeography of the Southern African Shield Cobras, Genus Aspidelaps (Serpentes: Elapidae). Herpetological Natural History 9 (2): 163-176.
  • Chippaux, Jean-Philippe & Kate Jackson 2019. Snakes of Central and Western Africa. Johns Hopkins University Press, 448 pp. [detaileld review in HR 51 (1): 161] - get paper here
  • Cimatti, E. 2007. Namibia - Introduction to a vast territory. Reptilia (GB) (50): 58-67 - get paper here
  • Conradie, Werner; Brian Reeves , Neil Brown, & Jan A. Venter 2016. Herpetofauna of the Oviston, Commando Drift and Tsolwana nature reserves in the arid interior of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Indago 32: 81-98 - get paper here
  • Dobiey, M. & Vogel, G. 2007. Venomous Snakes of Africa - Giftschlangen Afrikas. Edition Chimaira, Terralog 15, 150 pp. - get paper here
  • Duméril, A. M. C., Bibron, G. & DUMÉRIL, A. H. A., 1854. Erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome septième. Deuxième partie, comprenant l'histoire des serpents venimeux. Paris, Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret: i-xii + 781-1536 - get paper here
  • Fitzsimons, V.F.M.; Brain, C.K. 1958. A Short account of the Reptiles of the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park. Koedoe, 1(1): 99-104 - get paper here
  • Groen, J. 2008. Het houden van gifslangen. Lacerta 66 (1-3): 16-21 - get paper here
  • H. Werning 2014. Nicht nur Heim, sondern Heimat auf Zeit. Die Reptilienauffangstation München. Reptilia (Münster) 19 (108): 22-31
  • Herrmann, H.-W.; W.R. Branch 2013. Fifty years of herpetological research in the Namib Desert and Namibia with an updated and annotated species checklist. Journal of Arid Environments 93: 94–115 - get paper here
  • Hoffman, L. 1988. Aspidelaps lubricus infuscatus: distribution, behaviour and feeding. J. Herp. Assoc. Africa 34:46. - get paper here
  • Jeansch, M. 1988. Life History Note: Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus: Captive Breeding. J. Herp. Assoc. Africa (34): 45-45 - get paper here
  • Laurenti, J. N. 1768. Specimen medicum, exhibens synopsin reptilium emendatam cum experimentis circa venena et antidota reptilium austracorum, quod authoritate et consensu. Vienna, Joan. Thomae, 217 pp. - get paper here
  • Lobón-Rovira, J., Sierra, P., Portas, R., Pinto, P. V., & Martínez-Freiría, F. 2025. Noteworthy herpetological notes from Namibe Province, Angola. Herpetology Notes 18: 99-105
  • Marques, Mariana P.; Luis M. P. Ceríaco , David C. Blackburn , and Aaron M. Bauer 2018. Diversity and Distribution of the Amphibians and Terrestrial Reptiles of Angola -- Atlas of Historical and Bibliographic Records (1840–2017). Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. (Ser. 4) 65: 1-501 (Supplement II)
  • Mavromichalis, Johan;Bloem, Silvia 1997. Description of the genus Aspidelaps and a successful breeding with Aspidelaps lubricus infuscatus. Litteratura Serpentium 17 (1): 6-9
  • Mertens, R. 1954. Neue Schlangenrassen aus Südwest- und Südafrika. Zool. Anz. 152: 213-219
  • Nachtigall, P., Hamilton, B., Kazandjian, T. et al. 2025. The gene regulatory mechanisms shaping the heterogeneity of venom production in the Cape coral snake. Genome Biol 26: 130 - get paper here
  • O’Shea, M. 2018. The Book of Snakes. Ivy Press / Quarto Publishing, London, - get paper here
  • Post, Yorick; Jens Puschhof, Joep Beumer, Harald M. Kerkkamp, Merijn A.G. de Bakker, Julien Slagboom, Buys de Barbanson, Nienke R. Wevers, Xandor M. Spijkers, Thomas Olivier,<br />Taline D. Kazandjian, Stuart Ainsworth, Carmen Lopez Iglesias, Willine 2020. Snake Venom Gland Organoids. Cell 180, 233–247 - get paper here
  • Schillert, Andreas S. 2025. Haltung und Nachzucht von Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus (Laurenti, 1768). Sauria 47 (2): 29-38
  • Schilperoord, P. 2008. Het houden en verzorgen van de Koraal Schildcobra, Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus, en de Namibische Schildcobra, Aspidelaps lubricus cowlesi. Lacerta 66 (1-3): 92-111 - get paper here
  • Schleicher, Alfred 2015. Reptilien Namibias. Namibia Scientific  Society, 276 pp.
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  • Smith,A. 1826. On the snakes of Southern Africa. Edinburgh New Philos. J. 1: 248-254
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  • Sternfeld, R. 1910. Zur Schlangenfauna Deutsch-Südwestafrikas. Mehrere Fälle von Mimikry bei afrikanischen Schlangen. Mitt. zool. Mus. Berlin, 5: 51-60 - get paper here
  • Theart, F. et al 2024. A confirmed human fatality due to envenomation by the Kunene Coral Snake (Aspidelaps lubricus cowlesi) in Namibia. Toxicon, 237, 107537 - get paper here
  • Tolley, K.A., Conradie, W., Pietersen, D.W., Weeber, J., Burger, M. & Alexander, G.J. (eds) 2023. Conservation status of the reptiles of South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho. Suricata 10. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria
  • Ulber, T. 1998. Erfahrungen mit dem Biß der Korallenkobra Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus (Laurenti, 1768) (Serpentes: Elapidae). Sauria 20 (2): 33-36 - get paper here
  • Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
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  • Werner,F. 1910. Reptilia et Amphibia. In Schultze, L., Zoologische und anthropologische Ergebnisse einer Forschungsreise im westlichen und zentralen Südafrika. Band IV, Systematik und Tiergeographie Vertebrata B. Denkschr. Med.-Nat. Wiss. GeselI. Jena 16: 279-370 [1910] - get paper here
  • Winchell, S. 2011. Kobras. Reptilia (Münster) 16 (89): 16-22 - get paper here
 
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