Wildlifeof China
Many-banded Krait
Cobras, Kraits & Sea Snakes
Photo: Thomas Brown · CC BY 2.0
Bungarus multicinctus
Basic stats
Diet
Mainly fish, also snakes, rodents, eels, frogs and occasionally lizards
Habitat
Humid lowlands and marshy areas, up to about 1,500 m; nocturnal
Range
Southern and central China, Taiwan and parts of Southeast Asia
Size
Usually 1–1.5 m; maximum 1.85 m
The many-banded krait (Bungarus multicinctus), also called the Taiwanese or Chinese krait, is an extremely venomous elapid found in southern and central China and Southeast Asia. It is black or bluish-black with many white bands, averaging 1–1.5 m with a maximum of 1.85 m. (The Reptile Database; Wikipedia, general species account)
It is mainly found in humid lowlands and marshy areas, though it reaches about 1,500 m. A 2017 genetic study found that many museum specimens in China had been misidentified and that true many-banded kraits are restricted to southern China, including Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Hainan, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Guangxi. It is nocturnal and may be more defensive at night. Unlike most other kraits it feeds mainly on fish, and mating occurs in August and September. (Wikipedia, general species account)
Quick answers
- What does the Many-banded Krait eat?
- Mainly fish, also snakes, rodents, eels, frogs and occasionally lizards
- What habitat does the Many-banded Krait live in?
- Humid lowlands and marshy areas, up to about 1,500 m; nocturnal
- Where is the Many-banded Krait found?
- Southern and central China, Taiwan and parts of Southeast Asia
- How big is the Many-banded Krait?
- Usually 1–1.5 m; maximum 1.85 m