Calliophis melanurus (Shaw, 1802) Slender Coral Snake	Diagnostic characters:
	Body cylindrical; scales smooth; head broader than neck; head blunt, eye small entirely black; short tail; black with whitish or yellowish spots on nape; Dorsum brown in colour. Ventral red; tail brown with black rings. SVL: 300mm.
	Habit and Habitat:
	Burrows; found under leaf litter, bushes and sometimes under sand. When disturbed will raise and coil tail.
	Diet:
	Unknown.
	Legal Protection:
	WL (P) A, 1972-Schedule IV.
	Conservation status and Threats:
	Not accessed. Rare.  No serious threat observed.
	Distribution: Madhya Pradesh: Dhar. Elsewhere in India: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Elsewhere in India: Sri Lanka and Bangladesh