Bungarus bungaroides explained

Bungarus bungaroides, the northeastern hill krait, is a venomous species of elapid snake.^[1]

Description

This is a moderate- to large sized krait.Diagnostic characters:

• Dorsal scales in 15 longitudinal rows at midbody. Mid-dorsal scales are slightly enlarged anteriorly, but distinctly enlarged posteriorly.
• Subcaudal scutes ordinarily divided anteriorly, but occasionally some scutes may be single, but always divided near the tip
• Ventrals 220–237; subcaudals 44-51
• Dorsum – smooth, black with a series of very narrow white to pale yellowish lines or crossbars; on the belly, the light crossbars widen to form distinct transverse bars
• head slightly distinct from the neck. Top of the head is flat. Snout is blunt.
• Total length of largest male 1400 mm (55 in); tail length 160 mm (6.3 in)

Distribution and habitat

This species is found in Myanmar, India (Assam, Cachar, Sikkim), Nepal, and Vietnam at elevations around 2040 m as well as in Tibet. The type locality is given as: "Cherra Punjee, Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India".^[2]

References

• Boulenger, G. A. 1890. The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor & Francis. London. xviii, 541 pp.
• Cantor, T.E. 1839. Spicilegium serpentium indicorum [parts 1 and 2]. Proc. Zool. Soc. London 7:31-34,49-55.
• Golay, P. 1985. Checklist and keys to the terrestrial proteroglyphs of the world (Serpentes: Elapidae – Hydrophiidae). Elapsoidea, Geneva.
• Slowinski, J. B. 1994. A phylogenetic analysis of Bungarus (Elapidae) based on morphological characters. Journal of Herpetology 28(4):440-446.

Notes and References

1. Book: Bücherl, W. . Buckley . E.E. . Deulofeu . V. . Venomous Animals and Their Venoms: Venomous Vertebrates . Elsevier Science . 2013 . 978-1-4832-6363-2 . 9 June 2019 . 531.
2. [George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger, G.A.]