Bungarus
Banded krait, Bungarus fasciatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Elapidae Genus: Bungarus Daudin, 1803

Bungarus is a genus of venomous elapid snakes found in India and South-East Asia. Commonly referred to as kraits, there are 12 species and 5 subspecies. Banded krait File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Binomial name Bungarus fasciatus Schneider, 1801 Bungarus fasciatus a venomous elapid snake species found in India and Southeast Asia. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Reptilia redirects here. ... Suborders Lacertilia- Lizards Serpentes - Snakes Amphisbaenia - Worm lizards This article is about the Squamata order of reptiles. ... Families Acrochordidae Aniliidae Anomalepididae Anomochilidae Atractaspididae Boidae Bolyeriidae Colubridae Cylindrophiidae Elapidae Hydrophiidae Leptotyphlopidae Loxocemidae Pythonidae Tropidophiidae Typhlopidae Uropeltidae Viperidae Xenopeltidae Snakes are cold blooded legless reptiles closely related to lizards, which share the order Squamata. ... The Elapidae, or elapids, are a family of highly venomous snakes found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. ... François Marie Daudin (March 25, 1774–1804) was a French zoologist. ... 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... A venomous snake is a snake that uses modified saliva, venom, delivered through fangs in its mouth, to immobilize or kill its prey. ... The Elapidae, or elapids, are a family of highly venomous snakes found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. ... For other uses, see Snake (disambiguation). ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... This article is about the zoological term. ...

Distribution

Kraits are found in the Indian subcontinent (including Sri Lanka and eastern Pakistan) and southeast Asia (including Indonesia and Borneo).^[1] Map of South Asia (see note) This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. ...

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 (B. fasciatus) 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. Kraits have a pronounced dorso-lateral flattening, and are triangular in cross-section. The tail tapers to a thin point. Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus) is an easily identifiable snake due to its alternate black and yellow bands. ... In this SEM image of a butterfly wing the scales are clearly visible, and the tiny platelets on each individual scale are just barely visible in the striping. ... This article is about the color. ... Countershaded Ibex are almost invisible in the Israeli desert. ... Habitat (which is Latin for it inhabits) is the place where a particular species live and grow. ... The Konza tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills of northeastern Kansas. ... In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper or back side of an animal, as opposed to the ventrum. ... For other uses, see Hexagon (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Eye (disambiguation). ... The human eye The pupil is the central transparent area (showing as black). ... A scorpion tail The tail is the section at the rear end of an animals body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. ...

Reproduction

Kraits are oviparous and the female will lay a clutch of 6 to 12 eggs in piles of leaf litter and stay with them until they hatch. In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ...

Diet & Behavior

Kraits are ophiophagous, preying primarily upon other snakes (including venomous varieties) and are cannibalistic, feeding on other kraits. They will also eat small lizards.^[2] Ophiophagy (snake eating) is a specialized form of feeding or alimentary behavior of animals which hunt and eat snakes. ... Cannibal redirects here. ... This page is about Lizards, the order of reptile. ...

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.^[3] A nocturnal animal is one that sleeps during the day and is active at night - the opposite of the human (diurnal) schedule. ...

Venom

Bungarus species contain neurotoxic venom which is many 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 nerve endings to properly release the chemical that sends the message to the next nerve. 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 life-threatening and must be treated seriously. 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 (eg 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.^[4] Krait antivenom is often ineffective and as a result, mortality rate is at 50% even with treatment.^[5] Because of this, it is sometimes arguably considered the world's most dangerous snake. Note that it is also possible to support bite victims via mechanical ventilation, using equipment of the type generally available at hospitals. Such support should be provided until the venom is metabolised and the victim can breathe unaided. If death occurs it takes place approximately 6 to 12 hours after the krait bite. Cause of death is respiratory failure ie suffocation via complete paralysis of the diaphragm. A neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells – neurons – usually by interacting with membrane proteins such as ion channels. ... It has been suggested that Snake poison be merged into this article or section. ... Egyptian Cobra Cobras are venomous snakes of family Elapidae, of several genera. ... A nocturnal animal is one that sleeps during the day and is active at night - the opposite of the human (diurnal) schedule. ... In ophthalmology, ptosis is an abnormally low position (drooping) of the upper eyelid which may grow more or less severe during the day. ... In ophthalmology, ptosis is an abnormally low position (drooping) of the upper eyelid which may grow more or less severe during the day. ... Diplopia, commonly known as double vision, is the perception of two images from a single object. ... Dysphagia () is a medical term defined as difficulty swallowing. ... Antivenom (or antivenin, or antivenene) is a biological product used in the treatment of venomous bites or stings. ... Antivenom (or antivenin, or antivenene) is a biological product used in the treatment of venomous bites or stings. ... mechanical or forced ventilation is the use of powered equipment, e. ... Santorio Santorio (1561-1636) in his steelyard balance, from Ars de statica medecina, first published 1614 Metabolism (from μεταβολισμος (metabolismos)) is the biochemical modification of chemical compounds in living organisms and cells. ... Respiratory failure is a medical term for inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system. ... Suffocation can mean two things: Suffocation, or Asphyxia, is a medical condition where the body is depraved of oxygen. ... Paralysed redirects here. ... For other types of diaphragm, see Diaphragm. ...

In 2001, herpetologist Dr. Joe Slowinski was bitten by a juvenile krait (B. multicinctus) while doing field research in Myanmar. He was unable to reach medical assistance and subsequently died from the effects of the bite. Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of reptiles and amphibians including their classification, ecology, behavior, physiology, anatomy, and paleontology. ... Joseph Bruno Joe Slowinski, Ph. ... Juvenile (left) and adult (right) leaves of Stone Pine A juvenile is an individual organism that has not yet reached its adult form, sexual maturity or size. ...

Species

*) Not including the nominate subspecies (typical form). Binomial name Bungarus andamanensis (Biswas & Sanyal, 1978) South Andaman Krait Bungarus andamanensis is a species of venomous snake found in the Andaman Islands of India. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Andaman Islands The Andaman Islands are a group of islands in the Bay of Bengal, and are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India. ... Binomial name Bungarus bungaroides (Cantor, 1839) Northeastern Hill Krait Bungarus bungaroides is a species of snake. ... Theodore Edward (Theodor Edvard) Cantor (1809 - 1860) was a Danish physician, zoologist and botanist. ... 1839 (MDCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Assam   (Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a north eastern state of India with its capital at Dispur, a part of Guwahati. ... Cachar is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. ... , Sikkim (Nepali:  , also Sikhim) is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ... Binomial name Bungarus caeruleus Schneider, 1801 The Common Krait (Bungarus caeruleus) is a type of krait that is found in the jungles of the Indian sub-continent. ... Johann Gottlob Schneider (January 18, 1750 - January 12, 1822), German classical scholar and naturalist, was born at Koilmen in Saxony. ... The Union Jack, flag of the newly formed United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... , Maharashtra (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र , IPA:  , translation: Great Nation) is Indias third largest state in area and second largest in population after Uttar Pradesh. ... , Karnataka (Kannada: , IPA:  ) is a state in the southern part of India. ... Bungarus is a genus of venomous elapid snakes found in India and South-East Asia. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 13, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Year 1758 (MDCCLVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... Java (Indonesian, Javanese, and Sundanese: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia, and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are partially in Indonesia). ... This article is about the Indonesian island. ... Sulawesi (formerly more commonly known as Celebes, IPA: a Portuguese-originated form of the name) is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. ... Map of Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia (Malay: Semenanjung Malaysia) is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. ... Albrecht Carl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther. ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Binomial name Bungarus fasciatus Schneider, 1801 Bungarus fasciatus a venomous elapid snake species found in India and Southeast Asia. ... Johann Gottlob Schneider (January 18, 1750 - January 12, 1822), German classical scholar and naturalist, was born at Koilmen in Saxony. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. ... East Malaysia comprises Sabah and Sarawak East Malaysia consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, located on the island of Borneo to the east, across the South China Sea from Peninsular Malaysia which is located on the Malay Peninsula. ... Johan Christopher Hagemann Reinhardt ( born 1776 – 1845 ) Professor in zoology at the University of Copenhagen ... Year 1843 (MDCCCXLIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Malay Peninsula (Malay: Tanah Melayu) is a major peninsula located in Southeast Asia. ... Tioman Island is a small island, 39 km long and 12 km wide, located off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. ... Bangka can refer to: the Holo name of Wanhua district of Taipei City Bangka Island, an island of Indonesia Bangka Regency, Indonesia Tagalog: bangka, an outrigger canoe Category: ... See also Belitung for the island formerly known as Billiton. ... Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. ... Binomial name Bungarus lividus Cantor, 1839 Lesser Black Krait Bungarus lividus is a species of snake found in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. ... Theodore Edward (Theodor Edvard) Cantor (1809 - 1860) was a Danish physician, zoologist and botanist. ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Binomial name Bungarus multicinctus is the species of krait which produces α-bungarotoxin. ... Edward Blyth. ... Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Binomial name Bungarus niger Wall, 1908 Greater Black Krait Bungarus niger is a species of snake found in India (Assam [Cachar district], Sikkim; Arunachal Pradesh (Miao - Changlang district, Itanagar - Papum Pare district) ), Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Binomial name Bungarus sindanus Boulenger, 1897 Sind Krait Bungarus sindanus is a species of snake. ... George Boulenger. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Kraits in fiction

Kraits have reputations as deadly snakes and has figured in fiction as such. Roald Dahl uses the krait as a device in his short story "Poison." The krait also appears in Frederick Forsyth's short story "There Are No Snakes in Ireland" (included in his collection No Comebacks). Roald Dahl (IPA: ) (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short story author and screenwriter of Norwegian parentage, famous as a writer for both children and adults. ... Frederick Forsyth. ...

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.)^[6] A portrait of Sherlock Holmes by Sidney Paget from the Strand Magazine, 1891 Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. ... The Adventure of the Speckled Band is one of the 56 short Sherlock Holmes stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. ... Binomial name Vipera russelli (Shaw, 1797) The Russells Viper is a common and highly venomous terrestrial snake, usually found in open country from India and Sri Lanka to Burma, Taiwan and Java. ...

In a slightly more oblique reference, the motion picture Snakes on a Plane features a villainous snake smuggler named "Kraitler." ^[7] Snakes on a Plane is a cult high concept,[1] horror-thriller feature film[2] starring Samuel L. Jackson. ...

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

In Guild Wars Eye Of the North there in a snake-like creature called Krait This article is for the Guild Wars series. ...

References

1. ^ SurvivalIQ: Krait
2. ^ Richard Mastenbroek's Elapid Pages: Kraits (Bungarus ssp.)
3. ^ Living in Indonesia:Banded Krait
4. ^ Immediate First Aid for bites by Kraits (Bungarus species)
5. ^ http://www.seanthomas.net/oldsite/danger.html
6. ^ Fauna in the Canon. strangemag.com.
7. ^ Snakes on a Plane. IMDb.

• EMBL Reptile Database: Family Elapidae
• Genus Bungarus at The Reptile Database
• Bungarus (TSN 700207). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 6 May 2006.

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) [1] is an online database of information about actors, movies, television shows, television stars and video games. ... The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is a partnership designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

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