and rodent holes close to water, and often live near human settlement, especially villages, because of their supply of rodents and water. They prefer the open plains of the countryside. The banded krait has been found in Myanmar up to an altitude of 5000 feet. Behaviour Banded kraits are shy, not typically seen, and are mainly nocturnal. When harassed, they will usually hide their heads under their coils, and do not generally attempt to bite, though at night they are much more active and widely considered to be more dangerous then. During the day, they lie up in grass, pits, or drains. The snakes are lethargic and sluggish even under provocation. They are most commonly seen in the rains. Food The banded krait feeds mainly on other snakes, but is also known to eat fish, frogs, skinks, and snake eggs. Among the snakes taken by banded kraits are: Sunbeam snake Xenopeltis unicolor Rainbow water snake Enhydris enhydris Red-tailed pipe snake Cylindrophis ruffus Chequered keelback Fowlea piscator Buff-striped keelback Amphiesma stolatum Rat snake or dhaman Ptyas mucosus Indo-Chinese rat snake Ptyas korros Cat snake Boiga trigonata. Russell's viper (Daboia russelii) Common krait (Bungarus caeruleus) The prey is swallowed head first, after it has been rendered inactive by the venom. Breeding habits Little is known of its breeding habits. In Myanmar, a female has been dug out while incubating a clutch of eight eggs, four of which hatched in May. Young have been recorded to measure 298 to 311 mm on hatching. The snake is believed to become adult in the third year of its life, at an approximate length of 914 mm. Venom The venom of the banded krait mainly contains neurotoxins (pre- and postsynaptic neurotoxins) with values of 2.4 mg/kg–3.6 mg/kg SC, 1.289 mg/kg IV and 1.55 mg/kg IP. The quantity of venom delivered averages out at 20–114 mg. Engelmann and Obst (1981) list the venom yield at 114 mg (dry weight). The major clinical effects caused by the venom of this species include vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and dizziness. Severe envenomation can lead to respiratory failure and death may occur due to suffocation. Banded krait venom can damage the kidneys if injected. A clinical toxicology study gives an untreated mortality rate of 1–10%, which may be because contact with humans is rare and when bites do occur, the rate of envenomation when biting defensively is thought to be very