Banded Krait Graced Launch Of Chek Jawa Wetlands

This Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus), photographed by Loh Kok Sheng and posted in his blog, made a pleasantly surprised appearance at the launch of the Chek Jawa Wetlands on the morning of 7 July 2007.

Norman Lim encountered this snake last year, also along a muddy shore, but on another northern island of Singapore. This 'common occurence' of banded kraits in aquatic habitats are unusual because these are known to be terrestrial snakes. Maybe we just do not know much about them.

It is common that people misidentified the Banded Krait as the Yellow-lipped Sea Krait (pictured above). Both species belong to the same family of Elapidae (a group of venomous snakes including cobras, old-world coral snakes and true sea snakes). However, kraits belong to the genus Bungarus while sea kraits belong to the genus Laticauda. Although both snakes have the black-and-white bands along their body, the Banded Krait lacks the paddle-shaped tail tip that its cousin Yellow-lipped Sea Krait possesses. This tail shape allows the sea krait to swim more efficiently in the open sea.



Tails of Banded Krait (above) and Yellow-lipped Sea Krait (below).

* All photographs by Loh Kok Sheng and Ria Tan.

Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus)

Norman Lim sighted a Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus) on 21 May 2006, 11.25 pm on an offshore island. The snake was swimming from water and moving onto land, near the mangroves. This is unusual as it is a terrestrial species and is usually found in dry and forested areas (Lim & Lim, 1992; Cox et al., 1998). According to Lim & Lee (1989), Banded Kraits feed exclusively on other snakes, namely baby pythons, whip snakes, rat snakes and bronzebacks. However, Cox et al. (1998) claimed that they also feed on small mammals and lizards. These venomous snakes seem to be sluggish and docile in the day, but become active and aggressive at night (Lim & Lee, 1989; Cox et al., 1998).

Banded Kraits can grow up to 2 m (Lim & Lee, 1989; Lim & Lim, 1992; Cox et al., 1998), and has been recorded to live for over 11 years in captivity (Lim & Lee, 1989). They lay 4-14 eggs, and hatchlings are 25-40 cm (Lim & Lee, 1989; Cox et al., 1998). One individual in the Madras Snake Farm, India, was reported to have laid 12 eggs in early April, 6 of which hatched 61 days later (Lim & Lee, 1989).

This species occurs throughout Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and nearby regions (Cox et al., 1998).

From left to right: Left side of head; Left side of body; Dorsal side of tail.

* All photographs from Mr Norman Lim

REFERENCES

Cox, M. J., van Dijk, P. P., Nabhitabhata, J. & Thirakhupt, K., 1998. A photographic guide to snakes and other reptiles of Peninsula Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd, p. 12.

Lim, F. L. K. & Lee, M. T. M., 1989. Fascinating Snakes of Southeast Asia – an Introduction. Tropical Press, Kuala Lumpur, p. 30.

Lim, K. K. P. & Lim, F. L. K., 1992. A Guide To The Amphibians & Reptiles Of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre, p. 147.