Banded kraits are the largest species of kraits. They are a species of elapid snakes found in the Indian subcontinent. These venomous snakes are shy and timid and avoid attacking humans.
Scientific Classifications
- Suborder:Serpentes
- Family:Elapidae
- Genus:Bungarus
- Species:B. fasciatus
Conservation Status
Description
Size
These snakes can grow to a maximum length of 106 inches (270 cm).
Color and Appearance
The body of banded kraits is filled with black and yellow cross bands. They have broad and depressed heads, which cannot be distinguished from its neck. Their chin, throat, lips, and the area between their eyes and nostrils are yellow. The length of their tail is about one-tenth of their body.
Are They Dangerous to Humans
The venom of a banded krait has an LD50 value of 1.289 mg/kg and mainly contains neurotoxins. Their bite symptoms include diarrhea, dizziness, vomiting, and abdominal pain. It can also cause kidney and respiratory failure, which may lead to death.
Banded Krait at a Glance
Distribution
These snakes are found in the Indo-Chinese sub-region, Southern China, the Malay Peninsula, and the Indonesian archipelago. They are also prevalent in the Indian subcontinent.
Habitat
Mostly these snakes live near human settlements like villages. They inhabit rodent holes and termite mounds close to the water and open plains of the countryside.
Lifespan
Their exact lifespan is unknown, but like other kraits, they are estimated to live up to 20 years.
Predators
Sea birds, sharks, and some bony fishes are the predators of banded kraits.
Diet
Banded kraits mainly feed on snakes like the Indo-Chinese rat snake, the sunbeam snake, the rainbow water snake, and the red-tailed pipe snake. They can also eat fish, frogs, snake eggs, and skinks.
Reproduction
Oviparous by nature, female banded kraits can lay around 4 to 14 eggs in one litter and guard them until they hatch. At the age of three, the juveniles become sexually mature.
Similar Species
Yellow Barred Wolf Snake
It has black and yellow banding in the upper half of its body, similar to banded snakes. These snakes are small and harmless.
Mangrove Cat Snake
It is black with thin yellow bands. However, their bands are thinner and do not cover their entire body like in kraits.
King Cobra
Juvenile king cobras look like banded kraits with black and yellow bands.
Malayan Krait
They have similar patterns on their body as in banded kraits, but their bands are black and white instead of black and yellow.
Common Krait
These snakes are also banded, with black and white bands instead of black and yellow bands like the banded kraits.
Source
istockphoto.com, blogspot.com, natureweb.net, manoramaonline.com
