Bungarus multicinctus
Silhouette: Michael Scroggie, from original photograph by Gary M. Stolz, USFWS (original photograph in public domain). · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The many-banded krait (Bungarus multicinctus), also known as the Taiwanese krait or the Chinese krait, is an extremely venomous species of elapid snake found in much of central and southern China and Southeast Asia. The species was first described by the scientist Edward Blyth in 1861. Averaging 1 to 1.5 m (3.5 to 5 ft) in length, it is a black or bluish-black snake with many white bands across its body. The many-banded krait mostly inhabits marshy areas throughout its geographical distribution, though it does occur in other habitat types.
Zoologist and pharmacist Edward Blyth described the many-banded krait as a new species in 1861, noting that it had many more bands than the banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus). It still bears its original name Bungarus multicinctus. The generic name is a Latinisation of Telugu baṅgāru, "krait." The specific name multicinctus is derived from the Latin multi-, combining form of multus, "much, many", and Latin cinctus, past participle of cingere, "to encircle"—as in a "band". The common name "krait" is from Hindi (करैत karait), which is perhaps ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word (काल kāla), which means "black". It is also called as... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
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More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Many-banded Krait sighting in Kaohsiung on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 10th most-seen of the 23 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and September
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Many-banded Krait in Kaohsiung on a given day, against under 5% in March, May, August and November–January, the lowest months. Those are among Kaohsiung's wettest months, with about 270 mm of rain a month against 25 mm in February.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Many-banded Krait sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 7
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Many-banded Krait sightings, Kaohsiung ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Taichung (Taiwan, about 20%), Taipei (Taiwan, about 10%) and Guangzhou (China, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Many-banded Krait is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Kaohsiung (14 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
