Banded Krait
Bungarus fasciatus • Order: Squamata; Suborder: Serpentes; Family: Elapidae; Subfamily: Elapinae; Genus: Bungarus; Species: Bungarus fasciatus
Widespread across South and Southeast Asia, including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, southern China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Borneo).
Look up Banded Krait in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata; Suborder: Serpentes; Family: Elapidae; Subfamily: Elapinae; Genus: Bungarus; Species: Bungarus fasciatus
Conservation
Least Concern (IUCN Red List); however, it faces threats from habitat destruction, roadkill, and exploitation for the skin and traditional medicine trade.
Physical Description
Distinctive alternating broad black and yellow (or cream/white) bands encircling the body. The body is triangular in cross-section with a prominent vertebral ridge. The head is broad, depressed, and distinct from the neck, typically black with yellow markings on the sides. Eyes are small with round pupils.
Size & Dimensions
Typically ranges from 1.5 to 1.8 meters (approx. 5 to 6 feet), though specimens can reach a maximum of over 2.1 meters (7 feet). This specimen appears to be an adult.
Habitat
Inhabits a variety of environments from lowland forests and mangroves to agricultural lands near water sources. Often found near human settlements, rice paddies, and marshes, usually below 1500m elevation.
Diet & Feeding
Specialized ophiophage (eats other snakes), including other kraits and cobras. Also consumes lizards, frogs, fish, and occasionally small mammals. Uses a combination of active foraging and venom to subdue prey.
Reproduction
Oviparous; females lay clutches of 4 to 14 eggs. Females are known to remain with the eggs during the incubation period, reflecting a degree of maternal care.
Look-alikes
Commonly confused with the Malayan Krait (Bungarus candidus), which has black and white bands but lacks the triangular body shape, and the harmless Banded Wolf Snake (Lycodon septentrionalis), which lacks the prominent vertebral ridge.
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List); however, it faces threats from habitat destruction, roadkill, and exploitation for the skin and traditional medicine trade.
Cultural Significance
Often feared in local folklore; in some regions of Vietnam and China, it is used in traditional medicine or 'snake wine' for purported health benefits. Ecologically vital for controlling populations of other snakes.
Notable Features
The most striking feature is the sharply triangular body cross-section, with the backbone forming a distinct ridge (vertebral scales are enlarged). It is the largest of the krait species.