Banded Krait

The banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus) is a venomous species of elapid endemic to Asia, from Indian subcontinent through Southeast Asia to Southern China. With a maximum length exceeding 2 m (6 ft 7 in), it is the longest krait with a distinguishable gold and black pattern. While this species is generally considered timid and docile, resembling other members of the genus, its venom is highly neurotoxic which is lethal to humans. Although toxicity of the banded krait based upon murine LD50 experiments is lower than that of many other kraits, its venom yield is the highest due to its size.

Description

The banded krait is easily identified by its alternate black and yellow crossbands all of which encircle the body. The head is broad and depressed and it is not distinct from the neck. The eyes are black. It has arrowhead-like yellow markings on its otherwise black head and has yellow lips, lores, chin, and throat. The tail is relatively small, about one-tenth the length of the snake.

The longest banded krait measured was 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in) long, but normally the length encountered is 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in).

Scalation: 15 dorsal scale rows at midbody; sub-caudal scutes undivided throughout, 23–39; middorsal row of scales (vertebrals) hexagonal and strongly enlarged, as broad as or broader than long; anal plate undivided. tail end blunt; distinct vertebral ridge down the back formed by the neural processes of the vertebrae; ventrals 200–234.

Bungarum Pamah was the name recorded by Patrick Russell of a specimen from "Mansoor Cottah", he also received specimens from Bengal. The scientific name of the genus is derived from bangarum in Telugu (also in Kannada), meaning "gold", referring to the yellow rings around its body.

Distribution and habitat

The banded krait occurs in the whole of the Indo-Chinese subregion, the Malay Peninsula and Indonesian archipelago, and southern China. The species is common in the states of West Bengal, Odisha, Mizoram, Assam, Manipur, Bihar and Tripura of India, Nepal and Bangladesh, but becomes progressively uncommon westwards in India.

It has been recorded eastwards from central India through Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and southern China (including Hainan and Hong Kong), Malaysia and the main Indonesian islands of Borneo (Java and Sumatra), as well as Singapore.

In India, it has been recorded from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Northeast India, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal. It has recently been recorded from Hassan District in Karnataka, Chalkari, Bokaro District, Jharkhand, Trivandrum, Kerala and Amalapadu, Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh Supaul distric,bihar.