Description ³

INTRODUCTION

• Highly Venomous Elapid
• Found mostly in Northeast India and Southeast Asia.
• Neurotoxic Venom : Paralyzes muscles leading to respiratory and cardiac failure.

IDENTIFICATION

• Alternate Black and Yellow Crossbands .
• Enlarged vertebral scales along body.
• Juveniles might look like banded kukris.
• Triangular cross-section due to prominent backbone and grow to 3-4 feet on average.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT

• Found Northeast of Orissa and Uttar Pradesh. Common in Bengal and NE India.
• Strictly prefers wet surroundings and hence lives around Wetlands, Paddy Fields and Plains.
• Inhabit Termite mounds and Rodent holes close to water and a very good swimmer.

DIET AND BEHAVIOR

• Preys mainly on Other Snakes and sometimes fish, frogs and rodents.
• Fully Nocturnal. Hides during day but active hunter during night.
• Docile and non-offensive snake, coils up concealing head when threatened.
• Reluctant to bite except upon persistent provocation.
• Despite highly toxic venom, they prefer not to strike. Significantly less bites than Common Krait.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Colin Chiu, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Colin Chiu
2. (c) Vinay Gogula, all rights reserved, uploaded by Vinay Gogula
3. (c) Vinay Gogula, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HerpMapper
• Snake Database
• The Reptile Database
• VertNet

iNat Map