Many-banded Krait – Hong Kong Wildlife | 銀環蛇 – 香港野生動物

Many-banded krait (Bungarus multicinctus), or Multi-banded krait, is much smaller than its cousin Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus) but is surprisingly deadlier – the most venomous krait in the world!

Distribution
In Hong Kong, it’s widely distributed in New Territories and on some islands. Outside Hong Kong, it’s found in much of central and southern China and Southeast Asia.

Habitat
These kraits dwell in a diversity of habitats including shrublands, forests, agricultural areas, mangroves, and marshes. They prefer humid lowlands. I often found them inside catchwaters. Uncommon in drier grasslands and woodlands.

Behavior
Just like other kraits, it is strictly nocturnal. The ones I found during the day were all very timid and didn’t try to bite. But at night they will become highly alert.

Diet
Kraits are ophiophagous, preying primarily upon other snakes (including venomous and harmless snakes) and can be cannibalistic, feeding on their own kind. I have also seen few of them eating small rodents, frogs and lizards.

Reproduction
Oviparous. 4-8 eggs per clutch.

Venom
Bites can be deadly to humans. The venom is highly toxic with LD50 values of 0.09 – 0.108 mg/kg. Clinical effects include vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and dizziness. Severe envenomation can lead to respiratory failure and death may occur due to suffocation. I have been super careful when catching the one in my photo together with every single one I caught by hand. They are smaller, more wiggly, more slippery, and harder to get a hold of.

Bungarus multicinctus (Blyth, 1861)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Bungarus
Species: multicinctus

See more of my encounters with Hong Kong Wildlife.

銀環蛇, 銀腳帶, 銀蛇, 白節蛇, 銀包鐵, 雨傘節、寸白蛇、過基甲、過基峽、簸箕甲、手巾蛇、銀腳帶、銀環蛇、金錢蛇、銀蛇、花扇柄(客家話)、雨傘柄(潮州話)、小白藥蛇、台灣克雷特.


Posted

in

, , ,

by

Tags: