The banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus) is an extremely venomous species of elapid endemic to Asia, from Indian subcontinent through Southeast Asia to Southern China. With a maximum length exceeding , it is the longest krait with a distinguishable gold and black pattern.

Bungarum Pamah was the name recorded by Patrick Russell of a specimen from "Mansoor Cottah", he also received specimens from Bengal. The scientific name of the genus is derived from in Telugu (also in Kannada), meaning "gold", referring to the yellow rings around its body. The species is common in the states of West Bengal, Odisha, Mizoram, Assam, Manipur, Bihar and Tripura of India, Nepal and Bangladesh, but becomes progressively uncommon westwards in India.

It has been recorded eastwards from central India through Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and southern China (including Hainan and Hong Kong), Malaysia and the main Indonesian islands of Borneo (Java and Sumatra), as well as Singapore.

In India, it has been recorded from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Northeast India, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal.

Banded kraits may be seen in a variety of habitats, ranging from forests to agricultural lands. They inhabit termite mounds and rodent holes close to water, and often live near human settlement, especially villages, because of their supply of rodents and water. They prefer the open plains of the countryside. The banded krait has been found in Myanmar up to an altitude of .

  • Red-tailed pipe snake Cylindrophis ruffus

Venom

The venom of the banded krait mainly contains neurotoxins (pre- and postsynaptic neurotoxins) with values of 2.4 mg/kg–3.6 mg/kg SC, 1.289 mg/kg IV and 1.55 mg/kg IP. The quantity of venom delivered averages out at 20–114 mg. The major clinical effects caused by the venom of this species include vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and dizziness. Severe envenomation can lead to respiratory failure and death may occur due to suffocation. Banded krait venom can damage the kidneys if injected.

A clinical toxicology study gives an untreated mortality rate of 1–10%, which may be because contact with humans is rare and when bites do occur, the rate of envenomation when biting defensively is thought to be very low.

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  • Daniels, J.C. (2002), Book of Indian Reptiles and Amphibians. BNHS. Oxford University Press. Mumbai.
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  • Whitaker, Romulus (2002), Common Indian Snakes: A Field Guide. Macmillan India Limited, .
  • B. fasciatus at Thailand Snakes