The common krait (Bungarus caeruleus) is a nocturnal venomous snake found across much of the Indian subcontinent.
Active after dark
Common kraits spend daylight hours hidden and inactive, becoming far more active once night falls. This nocturnal habit is part of why bites often happen while people are sleeping, sometimes without the person even realizing they were bitten until symptoms set in.
A snake that eats other snakes
Kraits are ophiophagous, meaning other snakes make up a significant part of their diet, alongside rodents, frogs, and lizards. Being a specialist predator of other snakes — including, occasionally, other kraits — is a genuinely unusual trait among venomous snakes.
Medically significant
The common krait is one of the "Big Four" snakes responsible for the majority of serious snakebites on the Indian subcontinent, and its venom is considered one of the most medically significant in the region.
Range: Indian subcontinent · Length: Usually around 1 m · Diet: Primarily other snakes, also rodents and frogs · Venom: Powerful neurotoxic venom · Habitat: Farmland, low-lying areas, and near human settlement