Kraits of India: The Nine Species That Share A Country

Banded krait. Image credit: Arup2602, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

A krait can be lying beside a bed in a village home, moving through the rice field of a farmer, or crossing a road after dark without drawing much attention. These snakes are mostly nocturnal, generally secretive, and often encountered only briefly. Though a vital part of the ecosystem, these snakes also possess venom potent enough to kill a human being quite easily. So, while protecting them is important, safeguarding oneself from a krait is also equally needed. In India, “krait” refers to a group of closely related species in the genus Bungarus, and distinguishing them is considerably complicated.

India is currently home to nine recognised species of Bungarus whose ranges stretch from the Himalayas through the plains and plateaus of northern and central India to the Andaman Islands. Recent records and taxonomic work have also shown that the country’s krait diversity is still being refined.

• Andaman krait (Bungarus andamanesis)
• Northeastern hill krait (Bungarus bungaroides)
• Common krait (Bungarus caeruleus)
• Banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus)
• Lesser black krait (Bungarus lividus)
• Greater black krait (Bungarus niger)
• Sing krait (Bungarus sindanus)
• Suzhen’s krait (Bungarus suzhenae)
• Wall’s krait (Bungarus walli)

What Makes A Krait A Krait?

Kraits belong to the Elapidae family, the same broad snake family that includes cobras and coral snakes. Members of Bungarus are venomous and predominantly nocturnal. Many are ophiophagous, meaning that snakes form an important part of their diet, although their prey varies among species.

One feature that gives kraits their characteristic appearance is the enlarged vertebral row of scales running along the centre of the back. The subcaudal scales are also generally undivided, another useful character when distinguishing Bungarus from other Indian elapids.

But the familiar black body crossed by pale bands should not be treated as a complete identification guide. Several species are dark and banded, and closely related species can geographically overlap. Even the number, width, arrangement, and colour of bands can vary.

Common krait (Bungarus caeruleus)

A common krait. Image credit: Davidvraju via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The common krait is the species most people associate with the word “krait.” It also belongs to the “Big Four” venomous snakes, a group responsible for most snake-bite-related deaths in the country. It is distributed throughout large parts of mainland India and beyond, into neighboring parts of South Asia. It is usually dark blue-black, black, or bluish-black, with narrow whitish bands. In some individuals, the bands can be faint, incomplete, or difficult to see.

Banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus)

A banded krait. Image credit: Davidvraju via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The banded krait is the easiest krait to recognise. Broad yellow or golden bands alternate with black across the body, producing a striking pattern that is very different from the relatively narrow banding of the common krait.

The species occurs across parts of eastern, northeastern, and central India and continues through much of mainland Southeast Asia. It is found across a wide variety of habitats.

Northeastern hill krait (Bungarus bungaroides)

A Northeastern hill krait. Animish Mandrekar via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).

Found in India’s northeastern hills and adjoining Himalayan landscapes, it is associated with relatively elevated, humid environments. It is much less frequently encountered compared to the common krait. It looks quite similar to the common krait with black body and narrow, white bands.

The Northeastern Hill Krait belongs to the krait fauna of India's northeastern hills and adjoining Himalayan landscapes. It is associated with relatively elevated, humid environments and has been recorded from parts of northeastern India.

Lesser black krait (Bungarus lividus)

A lesser black krait. Image credit: Sp.herp, CC BY-SA 3.0  via Wikimedia Commons .

This lesser-known species is primarily found in northeastern India, with records also extending into northern West Bengal. It is also found outside India in Nepal and Bangladesh. Its dark appearance can make it easy to mistake it for other black kraits, particularly the greater black krait.

Greater black krait (Bungarus niger)

The greater black krait was originally described from the Darjeeling region of West Bengal and is now known from parts of northeastern and eastern India. It is also found in the adjacent countries of Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. It closely resembles the lesser black krait. However, measurable differences include the form of vertebral scales, numbers of ventrals and subcaudals, and overall body size.

The Sind Krait: Bungarus sindanus

A Sind krait. Image credit: Sp.herp, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

This species is found in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. In India, it is found in arid and semi-arid landscapes, including parts of Rajasthan and adjoining regions. It is generally dark, with pale bands across the body, and can resemble other banded kraits.  

Wall's Krait: Bungarus walli

Wall’s krait was originally described by Frank Wall from Faizabad in present-day Uttar Pradesh. It has been recorded in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, and Assam. Also found in neighboring countries of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.

Suzhen’s krait (Bungarus suzhenae)

A Suzhen's krait. Image credit: Chen Z-N, Shi S-C, Vogel G, Ding L, Shi J-S (2021), CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

It is one of the newest additions to India's krait list. The species was first described from China in 2021 and then in Myanmar. In 2024, it was found for the first time from the northeast Indian Nagaland-Manipur area.

Andaman krait (Bungarus andamanesis)

An Andaman krait. Image credit: Coryphophylax CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

It is the geographical outlier among India’s kraits. Unlike the mainland species, it is restricted to the Andaman Islands. The species was described in 1978 from the Andaman Islands, with the type locality associated with Port Blair on South Andaman Island. It is a Near Threatened species due to its restricted distribution.

Kraits And Snakebite In India

A common krait crossing the road. Image credit: Dr. Raju Kasambe, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Kraits are ecologically important predators, but they are also responsible for serious snakebite envenoming. The common krait is one of the country’s medically important snakes. Its nocturnal behaviour creates a particular risk in rural and peri-urban environments, where people may encounter snakes while sleeping on floors or moving around at night.

Krait venom is dominated by neurotoxic components that interfere with the nervous system functioning. Severe envenoming can lead to progressive paralysis and respiratory failure.

Another difficulty is that the bite itself may not initially look dramatic. A person may have little swelling or obvious tissue injury and therefore underestimate the seriousness of the incident.

Suspected krait envenoming is a medical emergency. A snake should never be caught or handled in an attempt to confirm its identity. The priority is rapid transport to appropriate medical care.

A Problem That Extends Beyond The “Big Four”

India’s focus on the four traditionally recognised major snakebite species has been important for public health, but it can also obscure the country’s broader venomous snake diversity.

Not every medically important krait belongs to the common krait. Other Bungarus species occur in regions where their biology, distribution, and venom compositions are less thoroughly studied.

Research has already shown that venom profiles can vary among closely related kraits. A major study of cryptic kraits in western and southern India found substantial differences in venom composition among lineages and raised concerns about the ability of existing antivenom to provide uniform protection against geographically and genetically divergent krait venoms.

This is one reason why taxonomy is not merely an academic exercise. Knowing which species occur where can directly affect venom research, snakebite treatment, and public health planning.

Protecting India's Kraits

Kraits are predators, and their ecological role is easy to overlook because most of their activity happens at night.

Their diet includes other snakes and, depending on species, other small vertebrates. In agricultural landscapes, their presence is part of a much larger food web linking rodents, frogs, reptiles, and other animals.

They also face a familiar set of threats. Habitat conversion, road mortality, and fear-driven persecution can affect snake populations. For species with small or fragmented distributions, such pressures can be especially important.

India’s current legal framework provides protection to the recognised Indian Bungarus species. The Zoological Survey of India’s 2025 Fauna of India checklist places all nine recognised Indian kraits in Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022.

Their IUCN assessments vary. Several are listed as Least Concern. The Andaman krait is listed as Near Threatened, and the Suzhen’s krait remains Not Evaluated.