c
 ?

Banded krait, c
  


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ñingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: c
 
Daudin, 1803

c
  is a genus of venomous elapid snakes found in South and South-East Asia.
Commonly referred to as  
, there are 12 species and 5 subspecies.

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[hide]

{? 1 Distribution
{? 2 Description
{? 3 Reproduction
{? º Diet and behavior
{? 5 Venom
{? Ñ Species
{? è ñraits in fiction
{? 8 References
{? ÿ External links

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ñraits are found in the Indian subcontinent (including Sri Lanka and eastern Pakistan) and
southeast Asia (including Indonesia and Borneo).[1]

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ñraits usually range between 1 to 1.5 m in length, although specimens as large as 2 m have
been observed. The Banded ñrait (c 
) may grow as large as 2.5 m. Most species of
krait are covered in smooth glossy scales that are arranged in bold striped patterns of
alternating black and light-colored areas. This gives the snake camouflage in its habitat of
grassland and scrub jungle. The scales along the dorsal ridge of the back are hexagonal. The
head is slender and the eyes have round pupils. ñraits have a pronounced dorso-lateral
flattening, and are triangular in cross-section. The tail tapers to a thin point.

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ñraits are oviparous and the female will lay a clutch of 12 to 1º eggs in piles of leaf litter and
stay with them until they hatch.

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ñraits are ophiophagous, preying primarily upon other snakes (including venomous varieties)
and are cannibalistic, feeding on other kraits. They will also eat small lizards.[2]

All kraits are nocturnal. The snake is more docile during the daylight hours, at night they
become very active but are not very aggressive even when provoked; they are actually 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.[3]

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c
  species contain neurotoxic venom that is 1Ñ times more potent than cobra venom.
ñrait 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.

Banded krait captured in Binnaguri, North Bengal, India

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. 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. As there are no local symptoms, a patient should be
carefully observed for tell-tale signs of paralysis (e.g. the onset of ptosis, diplopia and
dysphagia) and treated urgently with antivenom. Before antivenom was developed, there was
an 85% mortality rate among bite victims. [º]

ñrait 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, 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


  or


 , 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 or neostigmine, but success is variable and may be species dependent as well.
If death occurs it typically takes place approximately Ñ to 12 hours after the krait bite, but can
be significantly delayed. Cause of death is usually respiratory failure i.e. suffocation via
complete paralysis of the diaphragm. Even if patients make it to a hospital subsequent
permanent coma and even brain death from hypoxia may occur given potentially long
transport times to get medical care.

The polyvalent Elapid Antivenom is effective in neutralizing of the venoms of c
 


 and c
   and rather effective in the neutralization of the venom of
c
  
. In this last case, the monovalent c
  
 antivenom is also
moderately effective. [5]

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Biswas & South
c


  0 India (Andaman Island)
Sanyal, 1ÿè8 Andaman krait
Northeastern Myanmar, India (Assam, Cachar,
c
  Cantor, 183ÿ 0
hill krait Sikkim), Nepal, Vietnam
Afghanistan, Pakistan, India
Schneider,
c   0 Indian krait (Maharashtra, ñarnataka), Sri Lanka,
1801
Bangladesh, Nepal
Cambodia, Indonesia (Java, Sumatra,
Linnaeus, Malayan krait,
c
 0 Bali, Sulawesi), Malaysia (Malaya),
1è58 Blue krait
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
c
  Günther, 1 Sri Lankan Sri Lanka
 18Ѻ ñrait
Bangladesh, Brunei, Myanmar,
Cambodia, south China (incl. Hong
ñong, Hainan), north-east India,
Schneider, Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia (Sumatra,
c 
 0 Banded krait
1801 Java, Borneo), Laos, Macau;
Malaysia (Malaya and East
Malaysia), Singapore, Thailand,
Vietnam
South Thailand, South Myanmar,
Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysian
Reinhardt, Red-headed
c  1 Peninsula, Pulau Tioman, Indonesia
18º3 krait
(Bangka, Sumatra, Java, Billiton,
Borneo)
Lesser black
c   Cantor, 183ÿ 0 India, Bangladesh, Nepal
krait
c Wall and
0 Burmese krait Myanmar

 
 Evans, 1ÿ01
Taiwan, south China (incl. Hong
Many-banded
c 


 Blyth, 18Ñ1 1 ñong, Hainan), Myanmar, Laos,
ñrait
north Vietnam, Thailand
India (Assam, Sikkim), Nepal,
c
 Wall, 1ÿ08 0 Black krait
Bangladesh, Bhutan
Boulenger,
c

 2 Sind krait South-east Pakistan, India
18ÿè








  
 

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ñraits have reputations as deadly snakes and have figured in fiction as such. Rudyard ñipling
used a small, sand colored krait as one of the three main villains in his short story "Rikki-
Tikki-Tavi". (The other two villains being a pair of black cobras). In another ñipling short
story, "The Return of Imray," a servant arrested for murder cheats the rope by stepping on a

.

Roald Dahl uses the krait as a device in his short story "Poison". A version of "Poison" is
shown in Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV series) 0ctober 5th, 1ÿ58 and remade in Tales of the
Unexpected (TV series) March 2ÿth, 1ÿ80. The krait also appears in Frederick Forsyth's short
story "There Are No Snakes in Ireland" (referencing ñipling's Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, with the
assumption that ñipling may actually have meant the Saw-scaled viper; included in his
collection ).

It has also been argued that the deadly snake in the Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of
the Speckled Band" 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.)[Ñ]
In a slightly more oblique reference, the motion picture ¬


 features a
villainous snake smuggler named "ñraitler." [è]

In Dean ñoontz's   , the hitman assigned to murder one of the protagonists calls
himself ñrait.

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

In Mercedes Lackey's ¬

¬  , Maya's father was killed by a krait while living
in India.

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

In the early computer game Elite, ñrait is the model name of a pirate starship. An homage to
it is presented in the later game Escape Velocity Override, where a similar type of renegade
fighter craft is also named the ñrait.

In Ben Bova's book   !#

 $%$ the character Pancho Lane has a
35cm Metallic blue ñrait, named Elly.

In Mohammed Hanif's book #&'
(
, Ali Shigri sees them and Blind
Zainab kills one.

In James Patterson's )


 
kraits are the murder weapons used by a serial killer.

In Philip Caputo's "In the Forest of the Laughing Elephant" krait venom is on the arrow that
kills the main character, Lincoln Coombes.

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?  ?
1.? ' SurvivalIQ: ñrait
2.? ' Richard Mastenbroek's Elapid Pages: ñraits (c
  ssp.)
3.? ' Living in Indonesia:Banded ñrait
º.? ' Immediate First Aid for bites by ñraits (c
  species)
5.? ' Prof Tan, Nget Hong. [monovalent B.fasciatus antivenom "Antivenoms against
Malaysian poisonous snakes"]. University of Malaya. monovalent B.fasciatus
antivenom. Retrieved 200ÿ-0ÿ-23.
Ñ.? ' "Fauna in the Canon". strangemag.com.
http://www.strangemag.com/rosenblatt.fauna.html.
è.? ' "¬


". IMDb. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0º1è1º8/fullcredits#cast.

{? Genus c
  at The Reptile Database

{? "Bungarus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=è0
020è. Retrieved Ñ May 200Ñ.
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{? Detailed account of Joe Slowinski's death via krait bite

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bungarus"

Categories: Elapidae | Reptiles of India | Reptiles of Pakistan | Reptiles of Sri Lanka
Hidden categories: Articles with 'species' microformats
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he stinger.
Spiders are Banded ñrait
common, Marked with
plentiful alternate black
and often and pale
poisonous yellow
all through (sometimes
Asia. white) cross-
bands
throughout
entire length
of body.
Found in
coastal regions
such as
mangrove
forests. Grows
to 2 metres
long and is the
largest of the
kraits.
Nocturnal and
feeds on other
snakes and
lizards.
Deadly.
Vipers can be identified by the triangular shape of the head, as seen in
this photograph of a Wagler's?Pit Viper taken in Ulu Temburong
National Park, Brunei, Borneo. As with other vipers, this species has
haemotoxic venom, meaning it is poisonous to the blood system. The
term "pit viper" refers to heat-sensing "pits" which occur on each
cheek - these are used to locate prey. This nocturnal species rests high
in the trees during daytime and is well camouflaged.
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? ? ? ??

 
  


ñING
Cobra
,
grows
up to
20
feet (Ñ Forest snake
metre
s)
long.
One Hooded Cobra
of the
most
venomous snakes in Asia
All of the snakes above are common all through South East Asia. ALL are poisonous and
most are potentially fatal. However the ones pictured here only represent about a third of
the dangerous species that exist in the area.

This photo of a scorpion was taken by Andy Mattay of èRAR