Pests > Pests Entities > Reptiles & Amphibians > Snake > Branded krait, identification, FSM



Pests > Pests Entities > Reptiles & Amphibians > Snake > Branded krait, identification, FSM

Pests Pests Entities Reptiles & Amphibians SnakeBranded krait, identification, FSM

Banded Krait, Bunharus

November 2002. A snake from Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. It was not known how the snake came to Pohnpei, but it was hoped it was the only one! It may have come on a fishing boat from China. The specimen in the photo is about 117 cm long and 2 cm wide.

PestNet members thought that it was the Banded Sea-snake, Laticauda colunbrina (Schneider). This is a widespread species of East Indian Ocean and Pacific waters, coming frequently ashore and sheltering amongst beach debris. It also lays it eggs ashore. Though this species is exceptionally venomous, it rarely bites humans; it feeds on fish and possibly coastal lizards and insects. In a closely related species the bands do not completely encircle the body. This was interesting as the snake was said to have been seen near a rubbish dump, which is near the shore.

It was later identified as the banded krait, Banded Krait, Bungarus fasciatus, a highly venomous snake of the cobra family Elapidae.