That common Indian krait
Here we produce a snake guide to
identifying and protecting the common Indian krait. The guide was done
in partnership of the Wildlife Conservation Society Galle together with
the American Red Cross Disaster Preparedness Program, Sri Lanka Red
Cross, World Wildlife Fund and the Environmental Foundation Limited. The
associations will hold a Snake Bite Awareness week which is set to be
held in June with a number of awareness programs targeted at helping
people understand and identify snakes.
 The Common Indian krait (Bungarus caeruleus)
Sinhala (Thel karawala/Magamaruwa)
Tamil (Yennai viriyan/Yettadi viriyan)
Description: A snake with a small head with no clearly defined neck
having enlarged hexagonal vertebral (spinal) scales. It has a shiny
triangular body with narrow, closely placed white cross-bands.
Behaviour:
* Hides under leaf litter and rock piles during day time, becoming
active at night
* Not easily provoked, when alarmed will coil up and attempt to
conceal its head
* Can grow upto 80-170cm (2-2.5 ft)
Venom:
* Neurotoxic (affects the nervous system)
* Majority of documented bites have occurred during the night when
the victims were asleep
Symptoms at bite site:
* Mild pain around the bite wound
* Mild or no swelling
* Faint fang marks may be visible
Symptoms of venoming (venom entering the body)
* Drooping eyelids
* blurred vision
* Difficulty in breathing
* Possible abdominal pain
What to do in case of a snake bite: 1. Calm the victim and tell that
70% of snakes who bite do not inject venom
2. Immobilise the victim and bandage the area of the bite but not too
tightly
3. Get the patient to hospital as immediately as possible preferably
the Toxicology Unit at the Peradeniya Hospital
4. Tell the doctor about signs and symptoms
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