Bizarre Record: Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus) (Schneider 1801) feeding on other Krait Species

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REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 30: e18661 • 2023
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Bungarus fasciatus (Banded Krait) is a snake widely distrib-
uted throughout South and Southeast Asia in human-
populated areas (Sharma et al. 2013). It has a medium-
sized body with a rounded or triangular cross-section and
an enlarged dorsal ridge of hexagonal scales (Schleich and
Kästle 2002). The alternate black and yellow crossbands and
arrowhead-like yellow marks distinguish this species mor-
phologically.
In snake predation, it is not uncommon for B. fasciatus
to be partial to the ophidian diet. Several studies have exam-
ined a significant portion of its diet consisting of snakes.
The stomachs of B. fasciatus contained 80% snake remnants
(Slowinski 1994). Knierim et al. (2017) documented B.
fasciatus scavenging on Enhydris enhydris (Rainbow Water
Snake) and Cylindrophis ruffus (Red-tailed Pipe Snake).
Available evidence shows B. fasciatus devouring an adult
Ovophis tonkinensis (Tonkin Pit Viper) (Luu and Ha 2018).
Due to its wide distribution range, it preys upon a variety
of snake species: Fowlea piscator (Checkered Keelback), Ptyas
mucosa (Rat Snake) (Wall 1912); Amphiesma stolatum (Buff-
striped Keelback) (Srinivasulu et al. 2009), and Bungarus caer-
uleus (Bharos 2013). Additionally, we confirmed the existence
of B. fasciatus feeding on two other snake species based on our
recent observations and evidence. Here we report two species
of the genus Bungarus in its diet.
During herpetofaunal fieldwork in the Jhapa District of
the far eastern Terai region, we gathered records of preda-
tion by Banded Kraits on other krait species in two different
Bizarre Record: Banded Krait,
(Bungarus fasciatus) (Schneider 1801),
Feeding on Other Krait Species
Asmit Subba1, Sandeep Luitel2, Tapil Prakash Rai3,4, and Kul Prasad Limbu5,6
1Central Department of Zoology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Nepal (subbaasmit926@gmail.com)
2 Agriculture and Forestry University, Hetauda, Nepal
3Department of Environmental Science, Mechi Multiple Campus, Bhadrapur Municipality-8, Jhapa, Nepal
4Turtle Rescue and Conservation Centre (TRCC), Arjundhara Municipality-9, Jhapa, Nepal
5 Central Department of Zoology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
6Department of Zoology, Post Graduate Campus, Biratnagar, Nepal
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Fig. 1. Map showing the locations of the Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus)
preying on other Bungarus spp.
Fig. 2. Banded Krait (Bangarus fasciatus) preying on Wall’s Krait (Bungarus
walli) by grabbing its neck in Bahundangi, Mechinagar Municipality,
Jhapa. Photograph by Asmit Subba.

SUBBA ET AL. REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 30: e18661 • 2023
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locations (Fig. 1). At 2204 h on 20 June 2020, we observed a
Banded Krait preying on Wall’s Krait (Bungarus walli) (Fig. 2)
in Bahundhagi, Mechinagar Municipality, Jhapa (26.78239
N, 88.15439 E). The location lies near the Ilam-Jhapa bor-
der at an elevation of 407 m asl. Similarly, the second inci-
dent was recorded from a semi-urban area in Chandragadi,
Bhadrapur Municipality (26.56384 N, 88.08481 E) where
the Lesser Black Krait (Bungarus lividus) was preyed upon by
a Banded Krait (Fig. 3). This incident was recorded at 1915 h
on 11 September 2020 at an elevation of 94 m asl.
Interestingly, the B. fasciatus grabbed its prey at the neck
and coiled tightly before swallowing it from the head. We
cautiously took photographs and videos of this unique obser-
vation for identification and for the record. Along with that,
we examined color, number of scales, and their positions thor-
oughly to identify the prey snake species. Furthermore, prey
species were confirmed in consultation with snake experts in
Nepal.
A perusal of the literature reveals that this is the first
record of B. fasciatus preying on B. walli and B. lividus. This
research demonstrates various aspects of feeding behavior that
are crucial to comprehending the predator-prey interaction
(Mace et al., 2012). It also helps to study the trophic network
structure, roles of individuals in the ecosystem (Sataloff et al.
2009), and possible co-evolution between predator and prey
(Daltry et al. 1996; Gans 1961; Lee et al. 1999).
Acknowledgements
We sincerely thank the Department of Zoology, Central
Campus of Technology, Dharan for providing the neces-
sary equipment for the fieldwork. Likewise, we would like to
thank Professor Karan Bahadur Shah for identifying the prey
species.
Literature Cited
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Fig. 3. Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus) preying on Lesser Black Krait
(Bungarus lividus) in Chandragadi Municipality, Jhapa. Photograph by
Sandeep Luitel.