Bungarus multicinctus
Silhouette: Michael Scroggie, from original photograph by Gary M. Stolz, USFWS (original photograph in public domain). · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 Taipei on a given day, based on 134 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 10th most-seen of the 35 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Many-banded Krait in Taipei on a given day, against under 5% in February–March and December, the lowest months. That is one of Taipei's wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain against 90 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.
2nd of 7
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Many-banded Krait sightings, Taipei ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Taichung (Taiwan, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Many-banded Krait is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Taipei (134 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.
