Reptiles · Squamata · Elapidae

Common Krait

Bungarus caeruleus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

Bungarus caeruleus, known as the common krait or blue krait, is a highly venomous elapid snake native to the Indian subcontinent. This species is one of the members of the 'Big Four', the snakes that inflict most of the snakebites on humans in India and Bangladesh.

Weight

1.2 kg on average

Size

90 cm – 1.8 m

Lifespan

17 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestFreshwaterGrasslandCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Reptile Temperate forest Freshwater Grassland

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Fun facts

GeneralIts bite barely hurts, which is why many victims do not seek help in time.
Its bite is practically painless: most victims are people who were sleeping on the floor and do not wake when bitten, only realising hours later when the paralysis appears, which delays treatment fatally.
Its venom is neurotoxic and causes a progressive paralysis that is in many cases mistaken at first for other conditions, and late diagnosis is a major cause of death.
It eats other snakes, including cobras and other kraits, and that cross-species cannibalism is an important part of its diet.