Telangana: Rare banded krait sighted for first time in Kothagudem

A rare banded krait was spotted for the first time in Kothagudem district at SCCL quarters in Manuguru. Experts confirmed its identity and significance, noting only a few previous sightings in Mulugu and Warangal regions in over a century

Kothagudem: A rare banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus) was spotted at the SCCL’s C-type quarters at Kunavaram in Manuguru in the district.

The private security personnel saw the snake at 11 pm on Monday and informed a snake catcher, Muzaffar, a member of the Pranadhara Trust, who engaged in the snake rescue task. He immediately went and caught the snake.

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Since it was a snake he had never seen before, he took a photo and sent it to Pranadhara Trust founder president, Santhosh, who identified it as a banded krait. The snake is called ‘Bangaru Katlapamu’ in local parlance because of its alternating black and yellow bands on its triangular body.

According to Santhosh, a snake rescue specialist, it was the first sighting of a banded krait in Kothagudem district. The snake was spotted on a couple of occasions in the Eturunagaram area in Mulugu district in the past. It was spotted on the Eturunagaram police station premises twice.

In June 2022, a dead banded krait was found on a road near Project Nagar village in the Medaram forest range. Though it is not a threatened species, the snake is not commonly sighted in Telangana and is common in the eastern States.

It might be noted that the banded krait was first reported in Narsampet in erstwhile Warangal district based on a single specimen that was shot by a wildlife enthusiast, GEC Wakefield, in December 1912. Banded krait is one of eight species of kraits found in India.