Wildlifeof India
Greater Black Krait
Cobras, Kraits & Sea Snakes
Photo: (c) Rejoice Gassah, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Bungarus niger
Basic stats
Diet
Mostly snakes and small mammals; occasionally lizards, frogs and fish
Habitat
Terrestrial; often in tea gardens of north-east India
Range
North-east and north India (Assam, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand), Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh
Size
Up to about 1.3m; usually about 0.8m
The greater black krait is a venomous krait endemic to South Asia. It is medium in length, slender-bodied and triangular in cross-section with a short, pointed tail. The eyes are black, the tongue pinkish with a lighter tip, and the lips, chin and front of the belly whitish. It can grow to about 1.3 m in total length but usually averages about 0.8 m (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is nocturnal and terrestrial with an inoffensive disposition, and preys mostly on snakes and small mammals and occasionally on lizards, frogs and fish. In India it is found in the north-east and north, often in the tea gardens of the north-east, and has recently been recorded in Jharkhand.
Quick answers
- What does the Greater Black Krait eat?
- Mostly snakes and small mammals; occasionally lizards, frogs and fish
- What habitat does the Greater Black Krait live in?
- Terrestrial; often in tea gardens of north-east India
- Where is the Greater Black Krait found?
- North-east and north India (Assam, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand), Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh
- How big is the Greater Black Krait?
- Up to about 1.3m; usually about 0.8m