Kraits
Monday, May 14, 2007
As per the feedback I received for my previous post about snakes, I am starting to put up information about few venomous snakes found in India. Here I'll start with Kraits.
Krait venoms are among the most toxic venoms in the world. The venom can in very short time, cause respiratory failure. Hence they have the reputation of sucking away a person's breath.
Common krait is found throughout the subcontinent. It is less common in parts of the northeast which is home of the beautiful Banded Krait, which has bright yellow and black bands on its body. 
These snakes are active at night and relatively passive during day. They hunt after dark for their pray. Both snakes are snake-eaters. Banded krait kill and eat common kraits. This is perhaps one reason why the common kratis are rare in northeast. The native people often step on kraits while walking through their habitats. The krait has a tendency to seek shelter in sleeping bags, boots, and tents. They hide in rat and mouse holes during day. They prefer to live on dry lands.
