Bungarus candidus (Linnaeus, 1758) Figs 4C, D, 5C, D, 6C, D, 7C, D, 9D-F [English name: Blue Krait] [Chinese name: 马来环蛇]

Coluber candidus Linnaeus 1758: 223.

Bungarus candidus - Cantor 1847

Bungarus semifasciatus Boie 1827

Aspidoclonion semifasciatum - Wagler 1828

Bungarus candidus var. semifasciata - Werner 1900

Bungarus javanicus Kopstein 1932 (fide Slowinski 1994)

Bungarus candidus - Smith 1943: 416

Type locality.

“Indiis” (formerly ZIUS 89) .

Typical B. candidus possesses following morphological characters based on the examination of 19 specimens from Sumatra and Java, Indonesia; Peninsular Malaysia (Appendix 1): (1) Dorsum of most specimens with 21.4 ± 1.8, (18-26) broad white crossbands, with each band covers 3.8 ± 0.6, (3.0-5.0) vertebral scales on midbody, (Figs 4C, D, 5C, D), uniform black in some populations (Kuch 2007); (2) ventral body immaculate white, without brown pigments (Figs 4C, D, 5C, D); (3) scales on temporal area and lateral neck stained white, contrast with neighbor scales on neck in adults, creamy white in juveniles (Fig. 6C, D); (4) black bands on body large, covering 3-5 vertebral scales on middle body, intruding to white ventral body, ventrals with narrow black edges 1-2 times of outer dorsal scales (Fig. 7C, D); (5) ventral tail with broad dark crossbands (Figs 4D, 5D); (6) posterior maxilla teeth four (n = 9), slightly curved behind, (Table 3); (7) prefrontal suture 1.4-2.4 (n = 17) times the length of internasals suture; (8) VEN = 209-224 (n = 18), NSC = 41-50 (n = 17).

The hemipenes of B. candidus is described based on photos of a male (Fig. 9D-F, collecting No. RH06153, total length 120 cm) from Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Administration, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam, by Ralf Hendrix. This specimen was tentatively identified as B. candidus by the presence of (1, 2, 4-8) characters in the former morphological description. The hemipenis was partially everted, with large spines present on the medial portion of the organ at the position of the first subcaudal scale; smaller spinous calyces present near the base and another spinous zone present posterior from the row of larger spines. Spinous calyces along organ all elongated, robust at bases and gradually tapering to a tip without distinct bordering. Tips of spines strongly keratinized, semitransparent when fresh, bent towards the base of hemipenes. Sulcus not shown in the photos.

Distribution. This species is known from following localities based on specimens examined and/or DNA sequences data: Java and Sumatra Island, Indonesia; Peninsular Malaysia; Cambodia; Central and Southern Vietnam.