Sind krait

Sind krait
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Bungarus
Species: B. sindanus
Binomial name
Bungarus sindanus
Boulenger, 1897
Synonyms

Bungarus walli

The Sind krait (Bungarus sindanus) is a species of krait, a venomous elapid snake found in India, Nepal and Pakistan. Three subspecies are recognized. It can be confused with common krait and even with Indian rat snake.

Description and Biology

The average length of this snake is 1.0 meters with a maximum length of 1.8 meters. It is moderately slender. Has a smooth. glossy appearance. The color varies. It can be blue-black, pale bluish-gray, steel blue, brown, uniformly black. There are paired narrow white, yellow, or grayish cross-bands. Young specimens may have white spots instead of cross-bands along first one-third of body. The underside is white. The head is egg-shaped, slightly distant from neck. The eyes are small, snout short, upper lip white or yellow and the tail is short with the tip pointed.

Venom and Nature

This snake is nocturnal. It is very active and agile at night. It often hides in rodent holes, loose soil, beneath debris, so is rarely seen during day. When agitated, it will coil up with head concealed, body flattened, and make jerky movements. May also lift its tail. Reluctant to bite, but may make a quick snapping bite. Generally docile, unaggressive during day, but may become aggressive during night. This is the most dangerous of Bunguarus species. The venom is highly toxic. It bites rarely, but in one study 77 percent of victims died.

Behavior

Day/Night behavior changes have been reported in Bungarus caeruleus: during day it does not attempt to escape, instead rolls its body into a loose coiled ball, keeping its head well-concealed in the coil, while tail tip is kept upwards and is kept twisted. When touched, the ball flinches and hisses, with jerky movements. In "balled" condition, the snake allows considerable handling, however, over handling often instigates bite. At night the snake is very active, escapes by hissing loudly, or keeping still, occasionally biting the source of annoyance and tasnim

This snake feeds on toads, frogs, snakes, lizards and mice, the kraits are known to be cannibalistic. Young are known to eat arthropods.

Characterstics

The Sind krait (Bungarus sindanus) has 17 midbody scale rows; ventrals 220-237, subcaudals 49-52. The dorsum is jet black, first light stripe appears at the level of 11 to 15th ventral. Snout-vent length 1029–1034 mm, tail 135–137 mm.[1]

Distribution

This snake is found in India, Nepal and Pakistan. The Kraits in Pakistan are found from coastal lowlands north and eastward to Waziristan and Quetta regions. Also found near southwestern Pakistan coast not far from Iran-Pakistan border. This snake is found in dry open plains, in termite mounds, in burrows of small rodents, beneath debris, at elevations as high as 1,700 meters. It needs ample water supply, so may be found in moist and wet areas such as wells or tanks containing water. Often found near or in human habitation. The Sindhi Krait (Bungarus sindanus) is Deserticola, it inhabits mesic situations with sparse vegetation. In northwestern highland of Punjab, it has been collected from stony deserticola situations at an elevation of 300 m, close to badland cut into deep gullies on the slops of low hills. This habitat has only sparse grass with occasional bushes. This specie has been reported from western Tharparkar, Bahawalpur and Bhawalnagar. The subspecies Bungarus s. razai has been reported from Mianwali and Makerwal, in northwestern Punjab, Pakistan. Recently an abnormal specimen is described from Goi, Kotli, Azad Kashmir. It is recorded in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal (Jalpaiguri and Midnapur District), Rajasthan and Gujarat in India. The geographic ranges of the subspecies are:

References

  1. ↑ http://www.wildlifeofpakistan.com/ReptilesofPakistan/krait.htm
  2. ↑ The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.

External links