Bungarus ceylonicus

Bungarus ceylonicus, the Ceylon krait or Sri Lankan krait, is a species of venomous elapid snake which is endemic to the island Sri Lanka, locally known as මුදු කරවලා.

Description

The Sri Lankan krait is small and slender. On hatching, the length of the snake is about. The average adult length for this species is with being the upper limit.
Its black skin is crossed with thin white transverse bands. It has an extraordinarily long lung which it inflates when angry.

Distribution and habitat

The species is principally present in the wet zone of Sri Lanka at elevations up to 1,700 m, with infrequent presence in the dry zone, and occurs in forest habitats as well as gardens and plantations.

Ecology

The species is nocturnal, and sluggish by day. Its diet consists mainly of small mammals, frogs and other snakes. The krait is oviparous, laying cylindrical eggs with rounded ends that measure 30 mm x 17 mm.