Rare Coral Snake Recorded in Wanning for the First Time
First Record in Wanning
On September 15, the management station of the Hainan Shangxi Provincial Nature Reserve announced that the Hainan Chinese coral snake was observed within the reserve, its first confirmed appearance in Wanning.
This record will help researchers map the species’ local distribution and study its habits.
Observations and Behavior
During a routine nighttime survey, forest ranger Huang Minghong and his team spotted a reddish-brown snake with black rings hunting in a humid, mountainous section of the reserve. They captured rare footage of it preying on a lead-coloured water snake. So far, the snake has been recorded at three distinct sites, suggesting a small but established population.
The species is nocturnal, feeds on small snakes and lizards, and though its venom is neurotoxic, it is generally docile. Experts advise anyone who encounters it to keep a safe distance.
Description and Taxonomy
First found in Qiongzhong in 2018 and officially named in 2019, the Hainan Chinese coral snake (Sinomicrurus hainanensis) is the sixth species in its genus worldwide and the fifth recorded in China. Its discovery filled an 87-year gap in coral snake classification. The snake’s body is reddish-brown with black ring patterns, and its head bears a white stripe shaped like an inverted figure eight. It is closely related to the Fujian coral snake.
Conservation Implications
Zhuo Shangbiao, head of the Shangxi Reserve Management Station, noted that this finding reflects the reserve’s healthy forest conditions, which support a range of amphibians and reptiles. To date, the station has completed baseline surveys across more than 160,000 mu (approximately 10,667 hectares) of protected land, uncovering other rare species such as the Hainan double-lined small-headed snake. Moving forward, reserve staff plan to collaborate with additional research teams to strengthen forest protection and biodiversity monitoring, ensuring suitable habitats for these and other rare species.
Related article: Jellyfish in Hainan: What’s Lurking in the Water (and How to Avoid It)
