Bungarus

Bungarus is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...

 of venomous

Venomous snake

A venomous snake is a snake that uses modified saliva, snake venom, usually delivered through highly specialized teeth such as hollow fangs, for the purpose of prey immobilization and self-defense...

 elapid

Elapidae

The Elapidae, or elapids, are a family of venomous snakes found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. Elapid comes from the Greek éllops meaning sea-fish...

 snake

Snake

Snakes are elongate legless carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...

s found in South

South Asia

South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries on the west and the east...

 and South-East Asia. Commonly referred to as kraits, there are 12 species

Species

In biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....

 and 5 subspecies

Subspecies

Subspecies in biological classification, is 1) a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, or 2) a taxonomic unit, a taxon in that rank...

.

Distribution

Kraits are found in the Indian subcontinent

Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent and other terms, is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate south of the Himalayas, forming a peninsula which extends southward into the Indian Ocean...

 (including Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka , officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka , is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India...

 and eastern Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...

) and southeast Asia

Southeast Asia

Manila
Bangkok
Ho Chi Minh City
Kuala Lumpur
Singapore
Yangon
Bandung
Hanoi
Surabaya
Taichung
Kaohsiung
Medan|-|}...

 (including Indonesia

Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...

 and Borneo

Borneo

Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. Administratively, this island is divided among Indonesia , Malaysia and Brunei . Indonesians refer to the island as Kalimantan...

).

Description

Kraits usually range between 1 to 1.5 m in length, although specimens as large as 2 m have been observed. The Banded Krait

Bungarus fasciatus

Bungarus fasciatus a venomous elapid snake species found in India and Southeast Asia. It is commonly called the Banded Krait.-Range:...

 (B. fasciatus) may grow as large as 2.5 m. Most species of krait are covered in smooth glossy scale

Scale (zoology)

In most biological nomenclature, a scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran species, scales are plates on the surface of the insect wing, and provide coloration...

s that are arranged in bold striped patterns of alternating black

Black

Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...

 and light-colored areas. This gives the snake camouflage

Camouflage

Camouflage is a method of crypsis that allows an otherwise visible organism or object to remain indiscernible from the surrounding environment through deception. Examples include a tiger's stripes and the battledress of a modern soldier...

 in its habitat

Habitat (ecology)

A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular animal and plant species...

 of grassland

Grassland

Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...

 and scrub jungle. The scales along the dorsal

Dorsum (biology)

In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper side of animals that typically run, fly, or swim in a horizontal position, and the back side of animals that walk upright. In vertebrates the dorsum contains the backbone. The term dorsal refers to anatomical structures that are either situated toward or grow...

 ridge of the back are hexagon

Hexagon

In geometry, a hexagon is a polygon with six edges and six vertices. A regular hexagon has Schläfli symbol {6}.- Regular hexagon :The internal angles of a regular hexagon are all 120° and the hexagon has 720 degrees T. It has 6 rotational symmetries and 6 reflection symmetries, making up the...

al. The head is slender and the eye

Eye

Eyes are organs that detect light, and send electrical impulses along the optic nerve to the visual and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system...

s have round pupil

Pupil

The pupil is an opening located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to enter the retina. It appears black because most of the light entering the pupil is absorbed by the tissues inside the eye. In humans the pupil is round, but other species, such as some cats, have slit pupils...

s. Kraits have a pronounced dorso-lateral flattening, and are triangular in cross-section. The tail

Tail

The tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals and birds...

 tapers to a thin point.

Reproduction

Kraits are oviparous and the female will lay a clutch of 12 to 14 eggs

Egg (biology)

In most birds and reptiles, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. To enable incubation the egg is usually kept within a favourable temperature range as it nourishes and protects the growing embryo. When the embryo is adequately developed it breaks out of the egg in the...

 in piles of leaf litter and stay with them until they hatch.

Diet and behavior

Kraits are ophiophagous

Ophiophagy

Ophiophagy is a specialized form of feeding or alimentary behavior of animals which hunt and eat snakes. There are ophiophagous mammals , birds , lizards , and even other snakes, such as the Central and South American mussuranas and...

, preying primarily upon other snakes (including venomous varieties) and are cannibalistic

Cannibalism (zoology)

In zoology, cannibalism is the act of one individual of a species consuming all or part of another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded for more than 1500 species .Unlike previously believed, cannibalism...

, feeding on other kraits. They will also eat small lizards.

All kraits are nocturnal. The snake is more docile during the daylight hours, becoming more aggressive during the night. However, they are rather timid and will often hide their heads within their coiled bodies for protection. When in this posture, they will sometimes whip their tail around as a type of distraction.

Venom

Bungarus species contain neurotoxic

Neurotoxin

A neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells , usually by interacting with membrane proteins such as ion channels.Some sources are more general, and define the effect of neurotoxins as occurring at nerve tissue...

 venom that is 16 times more potent than cobra venom. Krait venom is extremely powerful and quickly induces muscle paralysis. Clinically, their venom contains mostly pre-synaptic neurotoxins. These affect the ability of neuron endings to properly release the chemical that sends the message to the next neuron. Following envenomation with bungarotoxins, transmitter release is initially blocked (leading to a brief paralysis), followed by a period of massive overexcitation (cramps, tremors, spasms), which finally tails off to paralysis. Not all these phases may be seen in all parts of the body at the same time.

Fortunately, since kraits are nocturnal they seldom encounter humans during daylight hours so bites are rare. Nonetheless, any bite from a krait is potentially life-threatening and must therefore be regarded as a medical emergency

Medical emergency

A medical emergency is an injury or illness that is acute and poses an immediate risk to a person's life or long term health. These emergencies may require assistance from another person, who should ideally be suitably qualified to do so, although some of these emergencies can be dealt with by the...

. Note that there is frequently little or no pain at the site of a krait bite and this can provide false reassurance to the victim. Typically, victims start to complain later of severe abdominal cramps accompanied by progressive muscular paralysis, frequently starting with ptosis

Ptosis (eyelid)

Ptosis is an abnormally low position of the upper eyelid. The drooping may be worse after being awake longer, when the individual's muscles are tired. This condition is sometimes called "lazy eye", but that term normally refers to amblyopia. If severe enough and left untreated, the drooping eyelid...

. As there are no local symptoms, a patient should be carefully observed for tell-tale signs of paralysis (e.g. the onset of ptosis

Ptosis (eyelid)

Ptosis is an abnormally low position of the upper eyelid. The drooping may be worse after being awake longer, when the individual's muscles are tired. This condition is sometimes called "lazy eye", but that term normally refers to amblyopia. If severe enough and left untreated, the drooping eyelid...

, diplopia

Diplopia

Diplopia, commonly known as double vision, is the simultaneous perception of two images of a single object. These images may be displaced horizontally, vertically, or diagonally Diplopia, commonly known as double vision, is the simultaneous perception of two images of a single object. These images...

 and dysphagia

Dysphagia

Dysphagia is the medical term for the symptom of difficulty in swallowing. Although classified under "symptoms and signs" in ICD-10, the term is sometimes used as a condition in its own right. Sufferers are sometimes unaware of their dysphagia....

) and treated urgently with antivenom. Before antivenom was developed, there was an 85% mortality rate among bite victims.

Krait antivenom is often ineffective for species in the genus other than the snake originally included in the antivenom preparation. Often noted on lay websites is the statement that there is a mortality rate of 50% even with treatment http://www.seanthomas.net/oldsite/danger.html, but there is no original source in the medical literature for this statement. Mortality remains high given that many patients envenomated never make it to healthcare facilities due to the distance from their rural homes and the often profound lack of medical resources, especially intubation supplies and mechanical ventilators in rural hospitals. Definitive care may also be delayed as patients may first visit the local mantrik

Mantrik

A Mantrik or mantric is someone who specializes in practicing mantra. In India the word mantrik & similar names are synonymous with magician in different languages. Generally a mantrik is supposed to derive his powers from the use of charms, mantras, spells and other methods...

or tantrik

Tantrik

A tantrik is a practitioner of the tantra systems of beliefs. It is also associated with black magic and practices of the occult. These men are known for performing rituals, which may involve sacrifice. Tantriks may be called upon to free a person who is "possessed"...

, a holy person and traditional healer who may attempt to rid the body of the venom with spells or herbal remedies, which are ineffective interventions.

Once at a healthcare facility such support should be provided until the venom is metabolised and the victim can breathe unaided especially if there is no species-specific antivenom available. Given that the toxins alter acetylcholine transmission which causes the paralysis, some patients have been successfully treated with cholinesterase inhibitors such as physostigmine

Physostigmine

Physostigmine is a parasympathomimetic, specifically, a reversible cholinesterase inhibitor alkaloid of the Calabar bean....

 or neostigmine

Neostigmine

Neostigmine is a parasympathomimetic, specifically, a reversible cholinesterase inhibitor.Neostigmine is available under several trade names such as Prostigmin and Vagostigmin.Neostigmine was first synthesized by Aeschlimann and Reinert in 1931....

, but success is variable and may be species dependent as well.
If death occurs it typically takes place approximately 6 to 12 hours after the krait bite, but can be significantly delayed. Cause of death is often respiratory failure

Respiratory failure

The term respiratory failure, in medicine, is used to describe inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, with the result that arterial oxygen and/or carbon dioxide levels cannot be maintained within their normal ranges. A drop in blood oxygenation is known as hypoxemia; a rise in arterial...

 ie suffocation

Suffocation

Suffocation is the process of being asphyxiated.It may also refer to:* Suffocation, death metal band.* "Suffocate", a song by the post-grunge band Finger Eleven from their 2000 album The Greyest of Blue Skies....

 via complete paralysis

Paralysis

Paralysis is the complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups. Paralysis can cause loss of feeling or loss of mobility in the affected area.-Causes:Paralysis is most often caused by damage to the nervous system, especially the spinal cord...

 of the diaphragm

Thoracic diaphragm

In the anatomy of mammals, the thoracic diaphragm is a sheet of muscle extending across the bottom of the rib cage. The diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity and performs an important function in respiration...

. Even if patients make it to a hospital subsequent permanent coma

Coma

In medicine, a coma is a profound state of unconsciousness. A comatose person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to pain or light, does not have sleep-wake cycles, and does not take voluntary actions....

 and even brain death from hypoxia

Hypoxia

Hypoxia may refer to:* Hypoxia , reduced dissolved oxygen content of a body of water detrimental to aerobic organisms* Hypoxia , a pathological condition in which the body as a whole or region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supplyIn popular culture:* "Hypoxia" , a 2008 ambient song*...

 may occur given potentially long transport times to get medical care.

The polyvalent Elapid Antivenom is effective in neutralizing of the venoms of Bungarus candidus and Bungarus flaviceps and rather effective in the neutralization of the venom of Bungarus fasciatus. In this last case, the monovalent Bungarus fasciatus antivenom is also moderately effective.

Species

Species	Authority	Subsp.*	Common name	Geographic range
B. andamanensis Bungarus andamanensis South Andaman Krait Bungarus andamanensis is a species of venomous snake found in the Andaman Islands of India.-References:* Biswas S; Sanyal D P 1978 A new species of krait of the genus Bungarus Daudin, 1803 from the Andaman Island. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 75 : 179-183* Slowinski J B...	Biswas & Sanyal, 1978	0	South Andaman krait	India India India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...  (Andaman Island Andaman Islands The Andaman Islands are a group of archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal, and are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India. The Andaman Archipelago is an oceanic continuation of the Burmese Arakan Yoma range in the North and of the Indonesian Archipelago in the South... )
B. bungaroides Bungarus bungaroides Northeastern Hill Krait Bungarus bungaroides is a species of snake.Diagnostic characters: Dorsal scales in 15 longitudinal rows at midbody; subcaudal scutes ordinarily divided anteriorly, but occasionally some scutes may be single, but always divided near the tip; ventrals 220-237; subcaudals...	Cantor Theodore Edward Cantor Theodore Edward Cantor was a Danish physician, zoologist and botanist.Cantor worked for the British East India Company. He made natural history collections in Penang and Malacca.He was the author of... , 1839	0	Northeastern hill krait	Myanmar Myanmar Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar, is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia or Indochina. The country is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest and the Bay of Bengal to the... , India (Assam Assam Assam ) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur located in the Guwahati city. Located south of the eastern Himalayas, Assam comprises the Brahmaputra and the Barak river valleys and the Karbi Anglong and the North Cachar Hills with an area of 30,285 square miles... , Cachar, Sikkim Sikkim Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. It is the least populous state in India and the second-smallest in area after Goa. The thumb-shaped state borders Nepal in the west, the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north and the east and Bhutan in the southeast... ), Nepal Nepal Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia and the world's youngest republic. It is bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India... , Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east...
B. coeruleus	Schneider Johann Gottlob Schneider Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider was a German classicist and naturalist.Schneider was born at Koilmen in Saxony... , 1801	0	Indian krait	Afghanistan Afghanistan The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is a landlocked country in south central Asia. It is variously described as being located within Central Asia, South Asia, or the Middle East... , Pakistan Pakistan Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia... , India (Maharashtra Maharashtra Maharashtra is a state located on the western coast of India. Maharashtra is a part of Western India. It is India's third largest state by area and second largest by population.... , Karnataka Karnataka Karnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It was created on November 1, 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act... ), Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Sri Lanka , officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka , is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India... , Bangladesh Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south... , Nepal Nepal Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia and the world's youngest republic. It is bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
B. candidus	Linnaeus Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature... , 1758	0	Malayan krait, Blue krait	Cambodia, Indonesia Indonesia The Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...  (Java, Sumatra Sumatra Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world .-Etymology:Sumatra was known in ancient times by the Sanskrit... , Bali Bali Bali is an Indonesian island located at the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island.... , Sulawesi Sulawesi Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands.- Etymology :... ), Malaysia Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...  (Malaya Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a major peninsula located in Southeast Asia, with its narrowest point at the Isthmus of Kra. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its teminus, is the most southern point of the Asian mainland... ), Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast... , Thailand Thailand The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma... , Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east...
B. ceylonicus	Günther Albert C. L. G. Günther Albrecht Karl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther FRS October 3, 1830 – February 1 1914, was a German-born British zoologist.... , 1864	1	Ceylon krait	Sri Lanka
B. fasciatus Bungarus fasciatus Bungarus fasciatus a venomous elapid snake species found in India and Southeast Asia. It is commonly called the Banded Krait.-Range:...	Schneider Johann Gottlob Schneider Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider was a German classicist and naturalist.Schneider was born at Koilmen in Saxony... , 1801	0	Banded krait	Bangladesh Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south... , Brunei Brunei Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia... , Myanmar Myanmar Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar, is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia or Indochina. The country is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest and the Bay of Bengal to the... , Cambodia Cambodia The Kingdom of Cambodia , formerly known as Kampuchea , is a country in South East Asia with a population of over 14 million people. The kingdom's capital and largest city is Phnom Penh... , south China China China is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....  (incl. Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south... , Hainan Hainan Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, all but three percent of its land mass is on Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name... ), north-east India India India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal... , Bhutan Bhutan The Kingdom of Bhutan is a landlocked nation in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalaya Mountains and is bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by People's Republic of China. Bhutan is separated from the nearby state of Nepal to the west by... , Nepal Nepal Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia and the world's youngest republic. It is bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India... , Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Borneo Borneo Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. Administratively, this island is divided among Indonesia , Malaysia and Brunei . Indonesians refer to the island as Kalimantan... ), Laos Laos Laos , officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and People's Republic of China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west... , Macau Macau The Macau Special Administrative Region , commonly known as Macau or Macao , is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong... ; Malaysia (Malaya and East Malaysia East Malaysia East Malaysia consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, located on the island of Borneo, as well as the Federal Territory of Labuan, which lies off coast of Sabah. East Malaysia lies to the east, across the South China Sea from Peninsular Malaysia which is located on the Malay Peninsula... ), Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast... , Thailand Thailand The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma... , Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east...
B. flaviceps	Reinhardt Johan Reinhardt Johannes Christopher Hagemann Reinhardt was a professor in zoology at the University of Copenhagen.Born in Rendalen parish in Norway, his father, Johannes Henrik Reinhardt, was a priest, and his mother, Johanne Elisabeth Mommesen, was from Holmestrand . He was not baptized Johannes, but adopted... , 1843	1	Red-headed krait	South Thailand, South Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysian Peninsula, Pulau Tioman, Indonesia (Bangka Bangka Bangka can refer to:* Bangka Island, an island of Indonesia* Bangka Regency, Indonesia* Bangka Strait, a strait of Indonesia* Tagalog: bangka, an outrigger canoe... , Sumatra, Java, Billiton, Borneo Borneo Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. Administratively, this island is divided among Indonesia , Malaysia and Brunei . Indonesians refer to the island as Kalimantan... )
B. lividus Bungarus lividus Lesser Black Krait Bungarus lividus is a species of snake found in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.Type locality: Assam, India-References:...	Cantor Theodore Edward Cantor Theodore Edward Cantor was a Danish physician, zoologist and botanist.Cantor worked for the British East India Company. He made natural history collections in Penang and Malacca.He was the author of... , 1839	0	Lesser black krait	India, Bangladesh, Nepal
B. magnimaculatus	Wall and Evans, 1901	0	Burmese krait	Myanmar
B. multicinctus Bungarus multicinctus Bungarus multicinctus is the species of krait which produces α-bungarotoxin.A snake of this species was responsible for the death of Joseph Bruno Slowinski.-External links:*...	Blyth Edward Blyth Edward Blyth was an English zoologist and pharmacist. He was one of the founders of Indian zoology.... , 1861	1	Many-banded Krait	Taiwan, south China China China is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....  (incl. Hong Kong, Hainan Hainan Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, all but three percent of its land mass is on Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name... ), Myanmar, Laos Laos Laos , officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and People's Republic of China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west... , north Vietnam, Thailand
B. niger Bungarus niger Greater Black Krait Bungarus niger is a species of snake found in India mainly along the sub-Himalayas from Uttaranchal in the west to Arunachal Pradesh and beyond India in the east. The species was described by Frank Wall from a specimen obtained from near Tindharia near Darjeeling...	Wall, 1908	0	Black krait	India (Assam, Sikkim), Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan Bhutan The Kingdom of Bhutan is a landlocked nation in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalaya Mountains and is bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by People's Republic of China. Bhutan is separated from the nearby state of Nepal to the west by...
B. sindanus Bungarus sindanus Sind Krait Bungarus sindanus is a species of snake found in Asia.-Distribution:SE Pakistan, India*sindanus: S Pakistan, adjacent India*razai: N Pakistan*walli: C/S IndiaType locality: Sind, West Pakistan [Boulenger 1897]...	Boulenger George Albert Boulenger George Albert Boulenger was a Belgian-British zoologist who identified over 2000 new animal species, chiefly fish, reptiles and amphibians.-Life:... , 1897	2	Sind krait	South-east Pakistan, India

*) Not including the nominate subspecies (typical form).

Kraits in fiction

Kraits have reputations as deadly snakes and have figured in fiction as such. Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling was a British author and poet. Born in Bombay, British India, he is best known for his works of fiction The Jungle Book , Kim , many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King ; and his poems, including...

 used a small, sand colored krait as one of the three main villains in his short story Rikki-Tiki-Tavi. (The other two villains being a couple of Black Cobras). In another Kipling short story, "The Return of Imray," a servant arrested for murder cheats the rope by stepping on a karait.

Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter.Born in Llandaff, Wales, to Norwegian parents, Dahl served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent...

 uses the krait as a device in his short story "Poison." The krait also appears in Frederick Forsyth

Frederick Forsyth

Frederick Forsyth, CBE is an English author and occasional political commentator. He is best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger and recently The Afghan.- Biography :The son of a...

's short story "There Are No Snakes in Ireland" (referencing Kipling's Rikki-Tiki-Tavi, with the assumption that Kipling may actually have meant the Saw-scaled viper; included in his collection No Comebacks).

It has also been argued that the deadly snake in the Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who first appeared in publication in 1887. He is the creation of British author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...

 story The Adventure of the Speckled Band

The Adventure of the Speckled Band

"The Adventure of the Speckled Band" is one of the 56 short Sherlock Holmes stories written by Scottish author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is the eighth of the twelve stories collected in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The story was first published in Strand Magazine in February 1892, with...

may have been a krait, although it is described in that work as an "Indian swamp adder." (The Russell's Viper has also been considered as a possible culprit.)

In a slightly more oblique reference, the motion picture Snakes on a Plane

Snakes on a Plane

Snakes on a Plane is a 2006 American Comedy horror cult high concept, horror-thriller feature film directed by David R. Ellis and starring Samuel L. Jackson. It was released by New Line Cinema on August 18, 2006 in North America. The film was written by David Dalessandro, John Heffernan, and...

features a villainous snake smuggler named "Kraitler."

In Dean Koontz's "The Good Guy", the hitman assigned to murder one of the protagonists calls himself Krait.

In the Guild Wars

Guild Wars

Guild Wars is an episodic series of multiplayer online role-playing games developed by ArenaNet and published by NCsoft. Although often mistaken for an MMORPG, the developers define it as a CORPG due to notable differences from the MMORPG genre. It provides two main modes of gameplay—a...

 expansion Eye Of the North there is a race of snake-like creatures called Krait.

In Mercedes Lackey

Mercedes Lackey

Mercedes "Misty" Lackey is an American author of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar...

's "The Serpent's Shadow", Maya's father was killed by a krait while living in India.

In the Star Wars: Legacy

Star Wars: Legacy

Star Wars: Legacy is an American comic book series set in the Star Wars universe. The series, published by Dark Horse Comics, is written by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema, and illustrated by Duursema and others, with inks by Dan Parsons and color by Brad Anderson...

 comic book series, the leader of the New Sith Order is known as Darth Krayt. Though named after the fictional Krayt Dragon, it is possible that the venomous dragon was named after the krait.

In the early computer game Elite Krait is the model name of a pirate starship

Starship

A starship is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....

.

In Ben Bova

Ben Bova

Benjamin William Bova is an American science fiction author and editor.- Personal life :Ben Bova was born on November 8, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1953, while attending Temple University, he married Rosa Cucinotta, they had a son and a daughter. He would later divorce Rosa in 1974. In...

's book "The Precipice

The Precipice

The Precipice is a science fiction novel by Hugo Award winner Ben Bova. This novel is part of the Grand Tour series of novels. It is the first book in the The Asteroid Wars series. It was first published in 2001...

: The Asteroid Wars, vol.1," the character Pancho Lane has a 35cm Metallic blue Krait, named Elly.
In James Patterson

James Patterson

James B. Patterson is an American author of thriller novels, largely known for his series about African-American psychologist Alex Cross.-Biography:James Pattersonis a former chairman of the advertising company J. Walter Thompson...

's The 8th Confession kraits are the murder weapons used by a serial killer.

External links

• Detailed account of Joe Slowinski's death via krait bite