Kraits


Kraits

 

snakes of the genus Bungarus of the family Elapidae, with enlarged scales along the ridge of the back. There are 12 species, found in South Asia and on the Malay Archipelago. The snakes are oviparous. The best-known species is the banded krait (B. fasciatus ), which measures up to 180 cm long and has yellow and black rings. During the day the snake stays in hiding. It feeds on other snakes, lizards, amphibians, and small mammals. B. flaviceps is the longest species (up to 185 cm). Although the poison fangs of kraits are short, people have been known to die from their bite.