Snakes - Banded Krait

[Thanyaburi Mac]

I have no idea what it is but that is one good looking snake.

Sorry, a BANDED KRAIT, a real one, don't pick it up....

Mac

[yabaaaa]

I've found 2 rather large Banded Krait snakes living at my backdoor under some plastic bags we use for gardening, a bit of research proves them quite nasty and I wondered if anyone could advise on how to get rid of them without being aggresive. I have some pictures I will upload soon, they are a dark greeny black colour with yellow stripes and are apparently very poisonous, the venom is 16 times that of the Cobra. I have heard that they dont like lemon juice/powder but this could be a myth I dont know? Anytips please? I am jst scared that they will get in the house with the weather becoming colder, thanks for any feedback in adv.

best DSG

Attached photo is from Laos, up at the "gold mine junction" where the Phu Bia Miining company has their main digs. We normally stop by there for a bowl of noodles when heading up to Long Tieng, or to Xaysomboun/Moung Cha/LS-113, it's right at the junction where you turn north. Photo by an Ozzie cyber acquaintance who took it a couple weeks ago in their living quarters at the mine area!! Reckon I'll BE SURE to carry a flashlight when out for an evening whizz from now on.

Mac

Dont forget also the "triangular" cross section of the Banded Krait to help identify it.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

> Dont forget also the "triangular" cross section of the Banded Krait to help identify it.

After cutting it in half.

I always thought that was funny, to call a snake after it's shape after been cut in half. (Called Ngoo Saam Liam in Thai)

[Hairy]

White lipped pitviper

not quite...

this is a Large-eyed Green Pit Viper

like all pit vipers, it is venomous..

That is GORGEOUS. Faaaabulous. Are they endangered? Can I bring a hatband made from one into the U.S.? (Hey, if the snake is ALREADY DEAD because SOMEONE ELSE clobbered it to make SOUP, why not?)

[jayjayjayjay]

if the OP's snake is a Mangrove Snake, what is this little fella from my front lawn. He could be a small adult or juvenile, I dont know! 30cm long. Sorry pics are not good, shaking hands A killer or not, relocated him to the back lawn where nobody ventures, seemed to be happy running into the bamboo trees!

[Goshawk]

if the OP's snake is a Mangrove Snake

its not.. its a Laotian Wolf Snake (for the second time)

yours is a Golden Tree Snake

both harmless..

[t.s]

> i can't believe people are suggesting you kill them!

You're in the wrong country if you love snakes.. Locals clobber them, probably for good reason. Also you may not have kids around.

i have a kid, i have also had at least one of these guys around my bangkok house for as long as i can remember. live and let live i say. i would much rather see this guy once a month than a rat.

White lipped pitviper

I thought that it may have been a viper by the shape of the head. Not sure if I would want one of these fella's hanging around as vipers have a reputation of being quite aggressive.

Beautiful snake though.

actually it is this one:

Cryptelytrops [Trimeresurus] macrops (Large-eyed Green Pit Viper)

http://www.siam-info.de/english/snakes_crotalidae.html

reputation and reality with snakes are often at odds.

these run when they see people and are only active at night, when my daughter isn't (knock wood)

[Geekfreaklover]

if the OP's snake is a Mangrove Snake

its not.. its a Laotian Wolf Snake (for the second time)

yours is a Golden Tree Snake

both harmless..

Goshawk,

Hate to be a bore; But the snake looks longer than a Laotian wolf Snake.

The colour, from the picture suggest the Loatian. But the size from the picture suggests Mangrove. Would help to know how long the snake is.

If we know that then we can determine it.

Either way it's not dangerous.

[Goshawk]

Goshawk,

Hate to be a bore; But the snake looks longer than a Laotian wolf Snake.

The colour, from the picture suggest the Loatian. But the size from the picture suggests Mangrove. Would help to know how long the snake is.

this is the only pic you need to know without a shadow of a doubt that it is Lycodon laoensis

length ? scale is also in the pics if you look..

an easy id

[Geekfreaklover]

Goshawk,

Hate to be a bore; But the snake looks longer than a Laotian wolf Snake.

The colour, from the picture suggest the Loatian. But the size from the picture suggests Mangrove. Would help to know how long the snake is.

this is the only pic you need to know without a shadow of a doubt that it is Lycodon laoensis

length ? scale is also in the pics if you look..

an easy id

yep, I think you are right. Are they rare, the Lycodon Laoensis?..I've not seen one before.

[Samuian]

I would poison them. Or maybe one of those glue traps they use for rats would work once baited. i.e catch a rat first.

Why????? kill them?

Can catch em and move 'em away!

A loop of string through a 1 mtr. or more...water pipe, loop over neck, tighten it so the animal can't slip out and move them to a safer place or far away and keep your back area free of plastic bags and stuff they find a home...!

Edited October 31, 2008 by Samuian

[Goshawk]

not rare.. often found around people/villages etc.. throughout Thailand

[rockhardbkk]

If you don't know what it is, don't mess with it. If it's already in a bag, make sure you're safe when handling the bag, then relocate the snake to a more remote locale. This is a no-brainer.

Many, many people get bitten observing snakes and trying to figure out what they are. Don't know where you are but if it is/was poisonous and you're anywhere near Bangkok you might want to take it to the Red Cross Snake Farm near Chulalongkorn. Since it doesn't seem to be a Krait, this probably isn't necessary but it's a better alternative than killing it for if it is a venomous snake taking it there could assist in saving lives.

[lannaman]

Last year we heard barking outside and found our Shih Tzu with a banded krait in it's mouth. I brandished a brush at the dog who dropped the snake which slithered off. I don't like to kill them having Buddhist leanings, unlike most Thais who do kill on sight. The following day my wife found the snake dead after cutting the grass. Lucky dog and wife!

Kraits are nocturnal, and rearly seen in daylight.

[iforget]

Your local village will have an "expert". They may eat the dam_n things but you can be sure they will be taken away.

I think there is a nest under the concrete patio at the back, however I managed to kill the babies (sorry for my sins ) however I am a little worried the mother may come back for vengeance! Should I purchase an Amulet anytime soon??? ..........

Agree with Goshawk that this is a Laotian Wolf Snake. See descriptions and pix of Krait, Mangrove and Laotian, below. With the Laotian, the band on top of the body splits to form a sort of upside-down Y, which seems to be the case with your snake. All pix.descriptions are from the excellent "A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Thailand and South-East Asia". Published by Asia Books, ISBN 1-84330-019-2. And if you're one of the authors looking at this post, excuse my infringing your copyright but I reckoned in this case it was in a cause you'd want to support....

[phaethon]

White lipped pitviper

... on a stick!

Edited November 2, 2008 by phaethon

[jayjayjayjay]

if the OP's snake is a Mangrove Snake

its not.. its a Laotian Wolf Snake (for the second time)

yours is a Golden Tree Snake

both harmless..

Thanks Goshawk, unfortunately I did not get a picture of the green snake residing in the tree next to my front door. Picture this, me working on my lawn mower(a little mechanical work), my gf standing at the front door chatting to the man (me), she has this "mechanics is a man thing" look on her face. I have no idea what she was talking to me about at the time, but I did notice a very very pretty green tree snake 2" inches from her face, taking great interest in smelling what perfume she was wearing. When said gf noticed the serpent out of the corner of her eye, the resulting scream brought down three houses on our ajoining property. The snake in question grew legs and hightailed it's way through trees to leave our yard within seconds of witnessing this histerical woman. After the fact she calmed down quickly and was impressively composed within seconds. I must say I was rather impressed. Comming eye to eye with the 85cm to 1metre long green tree snake would I believe shock even the most comfortable person around snakes. So the gf lives for another day in our snake heaven. It did not have the girth of the pit viper in plaethon's email, but it did have his eyes. Maybe the bamboo behind the house has a Golden Tree Snake and Pit Viper in joint residence!!

[wayfarer108]

There are no authenticated records of human beings having been bitten by banded kraits.

Remember, 'they don't bite, they chew.'

[steffi]

Is that a Pit Viper? That's not an Asian Vine Snake. We saw one of those in Bangkok.

> i can't believe people are suggesting you kill them!

You're in the wrong country if you love snakes.. Locals clobber them, probably for good reason. Also you may not have kids around.

i have a kid, i have also had at least one of these guys around my bangkok house for as long as i can remember. live and let live i say. i would much rather see this guy once a month than a rat.

[serpentine]

Just because locals clobber them doesn't mean it is the right thing to do. Yes there are very dangerous snakes here 9esp cobras,vipers and kraits. However the tree snakes are beautiful AND essential to controlling the vermin, as wel as the harmless python. Pythons, apart from eating the odd chicken, are beautiful, and the locals where I live always kill them. I find it sad that so amny locals who live in areas where the snakes live are unable to distinguish the difference.

In Australia it is essential to know a dangerous snake from a harmless one as most snakes in urban areas are aggressive and deadly.

[TexasRanger]

if the OP's snake is a Mangrove Snake

its not.. its a Laotian Wolf Snake (for the second time)

yours is a Golden Tree Snake

both harmless..

Thanks Goshawk, unfortunately I did not get a picture of the green snake residing in the tree next to my front door. Picture this, me working on my lawn mower(a little mechanical work), my gf standing at the front door chatting to the man (me), she has this "mechanics is a man thing" look on her face. I have no idea what she was talking to me about at the time, but I did notice a very very pretty green tree snake 2" inches from her face, taking great interest in smelling what perfume she was wearing. When said gf noticed the serpent out of the corner of her eye, the resulting scream brought down three houses on our ajoining property. The snake in question grew legs and hightailed it's way through trees to leave our yard within seconds of witnessing this histerical woman. After the fact she calmed down quickly and was impressively composed within seconds. I must say I was rather impressed. Comming eye to eye with the 85cm to 1metre long green tree snake would I believe shock even the most comfortable person around snakes. So the gf lives for another day in our snake heaven. It did not have the girth of the pit viper in plaethon's email, but it did have his eyes. Maybe the bamboo behind the house has a Golden Tree Snake and Pit Viper in joint residence!!

I think I'd take on a snake as opposed to a hysterical Thai woman any day

[RakJungTorlae]

i can't believe people are suggesting you kill them!

Looks like lunch to me.

[serpentine]

Not true my friend. Maybe no records in thailand but I have seen stats from india/Bangl?Nepal and I believe the LAND banded krait is the biggest killer of all snakes. A lot of the reports go unreported because thet happen in isolated villages, where often the locals see a fateful death as an omen more than the result of the venom...........really.

You are confused with the banded sea krait whch is from the same family although lives in the sea and although highly venomous, has teeth located at the back of it's mounth and is therefore