Red-headed krait facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red-headed krait |
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Bungarus
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flaviceps
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The red-headed krait (Bungarus flaviceps) is a large, very venomous snake known for its bright colors. It can grow up to 2.1 metres (7 ft) long. This snake lives in lowland rain forests, even on islands, but it's not often seen. Red-headed kraits mostly eat other snakes, especially those that live in water or underground.
You can find the red-headed krait in parts of Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia (like Sumatra). There is also a special type of this snake in Borneo. Scientists don't know much about how strong its venom is because people rarely get bitten by this snake.
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What Does a Red-Headed Krait Look Like?
The red-headed krait has very striking and unique colors. It has a bright red head and tail, with a black body that has a thin, bluish-white stripe along its sides. Its scales are large and smooth, making the snake look shiny and beautiful.
These snakes usually don't bite unless they are bothered for a long time. An average red-headed krait is about 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 m) long, but some can reach 7 feet (2.1 m). They have short, hollow fangs that deliver their venom. The venom flows through these fangs like a tiny tube.
Red-headed kraits look a bit like another venomous snake called the blue Malayan coral snake (Calliophis bivirgata). They also look similar to a harmless snake called the red-headed reed snake (Calamaria schlegeli).
Where Do Red-Headed Kraits Live?
Red-headed kraits are found in southern Myanmar and Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, and Singapore. They also live on several islands in Malaysia (like Pulau Tioman) and Indonesia (such as Bangka, Sumatra, Java, and Belitung). A special kind of red-headed krait, called B. f. baluensis, lives in Sabah (Borneo).
These snakes prefer to live in the rain forests of mountains and hilly areas. They are almost never found near places where people live.
How Do Red-Headed Kraits Behave?
Red-headed kraits are active at night (they are nocturnal) and spend some time in water (they are partially aquatic). People once thought they only ate other snakes. However, we now know they also eat skinks, lizards, frogs, caecilians, small mammals, and snake eggs.
Even though they are very dangerous, red-headed kraits are not usually a big risk to humans during the day. They are often described as slow, lazy, and very calm. When disturbed during the day, they might hide their heads in the ground or tuck them into their coiled bodies. At night, however, they become active and are much more dangerous.
Red-Headed Krait Venom
The red-headed krait is an extremely venomous snake, but bites from it are rare. Krait venom mainly works as a neurotoxin. This means it stops signals from traveling between nerves and muscles. This can cause paralysis, which is when muscles stop working. If the muscles needed for breathing become paralyzed, a person can't breathe on their own.
When someone is bitten by a red-headed krait, the first muscles to be affected are often those that control the eyelids and eyes. Within 20 minutes to several hours after a bite, the victim might find it hard to keep their eyelids open. This condition is called bilateral ptosis, and it's a clear sign of a serious bite. Other common signs include seeing double (diplopia), difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), vomiting, headache, and a lot of saliva (hypersalivation).
Later, the paralysis can get worse, affecting more muscles, sometimes even locking the jaw. Breathing problems can happen if the diaphragm, which is the main muscle for breathing, becomes paralyzed. The venom also has a special toxin called κ-flavitoxin. This toxin affects how nerves communicate in some parts of the body.
The symptoms of nerve damage might get better on their own. They can also be treated with antivenin or medicines that help nerve signals work better.
