Manduru Palu

Coral snakes are called manduru palu. Manduru is the Kichwa name for Bixis orellana the soure of a bright red dye used in painting the face. According to oral tradition when Manduru was a human woman she and her sister Wituk painted the animals as they were being transformed from human into animal form, giving them the color they have now. See the Story of Wituk and Manduru. The manduru snake is believed to have a stinger in its tail.