Food Spectrum of Common Kraits (Bungarus caeruleus): An Implication for Snakebite Prevention and Snake Conservation
Common Kraits, Bungarus caeruleus, cause thousands of fatalities annually in Asia. Here, we aimed to examine stomach contents of preserved kraits to determine their most favored prey animals that might attract them to residences where they bite sleeping people, even under mosquito nets. We examined freshly killed B. caeruleus and those preserved in collections maintained in hospitals and museums during July 2016 to October 2018 to identify contents of their stomachs and intestines. Among 61 examined B. caeruleus, three kraits consumed frogs, three consumed snakes, one consumed a bird, and five consumed rodents. This is the first comprehensive study of the food spectrum of B. caeruleus for Nepal and the third study worldwide. Unlike previous findings, we found the snakes mainly feeding on nonsnake prey animals. Most snakes having empty stomachs and a few specimens with freshly eaten prey animals indicated their entry into dwellings in search of prey animals was because of food stimuli. Findings of partly digested rodents, frogs, snakes, and avian prey (which are commonly found in houses in the lowlands of Nepal) further support food stimuli to be an important factor driving B. caeruleus to residential areas, where they often cause envenomation (69% of total specimens involved in snakebite, n = 42). Our findings can be extrapolated to understand the feeding ecology of B. caeruleus distributed in residential areas and to formulate effective prevention strategies against their bites. Implementing effective and practicable prevention strategies lessens the fear of snakes. This consequently minimizes unnecessary killing of snakes, which in turn contributes to biodiversity conservation.ABSTRACT
Common Krait (Bungarus caeruleus) from Chitwan District, Nepal incised longitudinally (left) to examine contents in the stomach and intestine. The stomach contained rodent prey (right; white scale bar = 1 cm).
Locality and specific places in Nepal where studied Common Kraits (Bungarus caeruleus) were encountered/involved in snakebites.
Time and seasonal patterns of Common Kraits (Bungarus caeruleus) from different parts of Nepal.
Monthly patterns by locality of Common Kraits (Bungarus caeruleus) from different parts of Nepal.
Snout–vent length (SVL, in mm) of Common Kraits (Bungarus caeruleus) with respect to their sex, locality where snakebite occurred or where they were killed by locals in Nepal, and snake maturity.
Snake prey animal in stomach of Common Krait in Nawalparasi District, Nepal (arrow shows a partially digested snake prey).
Types of prey animals by time of day observed by examining contents in stomach of Common Kraits (Bungarus caeruleus) in Nepal.
Nonsnake prey animals in stomach of Common Kraits from lowlands of Nepal. (A) Freshly eaten toad by snake from Chitwan District; (B) remains of partially digested frog in snake from Nayabasti, Piprahawa (Ganapur) 07, Banke District, red arrow showing remains of frog eaten by snake, white arrow showing remains of cockroach, likely consumed by frog which was later eaten by this snake; (C) avian prey (partially digested bird that looks like a chicken) of snake from Sindhuli District; (D) freshly eaten rodents by a snake from Chitwan District.
Hemipenis of Common Krait from Prembasti, Bharatpur, Chitwan District, Nepal (white bar = 1 cm).
Gonads of Common Krait; male from Sindhuli District, Nepal (upper), female from Sarlahi District, Nepal (below) (white bar = 1 cm).
Contributor Notes
