Distributed range & status
This is anendemic species to Sri Lanka, found in two sub species such as, Bungarus celonicus ceylonensis & Bungarus celonicus karawala. Bungarus celonicus ceylonensis is confined to the wet zone & intermediate zone up to 1000m in Peradeniya, Kandy, Matugama, Galle, Sinharaja, Peak Wilderness, Opatha, Nawalapitaya, knuckles, Kahawatta, Koggala, Gampola, Ratnapura, Knuckles, Balangoda & Gurutalawa. Bungarus celonicus karawala is only restricted to mountain sides such as knuckles, Bandarwela, Badulla, Horton plains, Haggala.
Scales
rostral |
|
frontal |
Length is the same as prefrontals |
supraoculars |
|
parietals |
|
prefrontals |
Length is the same as frontals |
nasals |
|
internasals |
1 pair present |
loreals |
absent |
preoculars |
1 not spread towards the top of the head |
postoculars |
2 |
temporals |
1+2 |
Supralabials |
7 (2nd is smaller than the 1st &the 3rd scale) |
mental |
|
infralabials |
|
sublinguals |
|
coastals |
|
ventrals |
219-243 |
anal |
Undivided scale |
subcaudals |
32-42 undivided |
They have 15 rows of mid body scale rows. Scales are smooth & glistering. Vertebral scales are enlarged, hexagonal & clear. Lateral scales are twice as much as frontal scale.
Characteristics
This snake is the smallest Bungarus snake. A medium sized cylindrical body present. Ventral body is rounded. Head is indistinct from the small neck. Rounded short snout is present. Eyes are small. Nostrils are moderately large in size. Tail is short & tapering towards the end.
Colour
Dorsal body is dark brown, steely blue or shiny black with 15-28 narrow white bands across the body. Bungarus celonicus ceylonensis looses the bands when matured. Back of the head & the throat area is white. Dorsal side & the snout are black. Ventral body has dark bands in cream.
Bungarus celonicus karawala back of the head & the throat area is white & spread more than half of the head. When matured the head becomes black. Ventral bodies of the juveniles are cream. When they grow, black bands occur.
Venom
These snakes are highly venomous. The wound may get swollen & normal pain occurs. Abdominal pain, ptosis takes place, becomes harder to breath. Becomes hard to speak & hard to put the tongue out. The victim might be in shock & may even faint. The bites cause human fatal if not given the correct medical aid in time.
Dentition
Rather short fangs are fixed & cannot be moved. The venom is highly toxic, causing respiratory failure. The fangs are proteroglyphous type.
Behavior
Nocturnal when foraging & it hides under piles leaf litter, under logs, stones, crevices, rodent holes during day time. They are terrestrial & prefer cool damp, shady habitats. Some times may even enter human habitations. When it’s not aggressive, flattening the body & attempt to hide its head under its body.
Breeding
These snakes are oviparous, laying 4-10 eggs that are guarded by females & males both. Eggs hatch in January to June.
Growth
Hatchlings are 200-250mm & Bungarus celonicus ceylonensis grow up to an adult of 800-1000mm. 1346mm snake was also once recorded. Bungarus celonicus karawala is smaller in length (700mm).
Food
Most exclusive item in their diet is other small non poisonous snakes. Also mice, frogs, geckos, skinks & lizards are included.
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