Bungarus slowinskii


Bungarus slowinskii, the Red River krait, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is indigenous to Southeast Asia.

Geographic range

Based on the current knowledge on this rare snake, B. slowinskii is endemic to Vietnam and Thailand. The first sighting in Thailand was documented on 15 September 2018. It is believed that this species also occurs in Laos and Cambodia.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of B. slowinskii is forest, at altitudes of.

Description

B. slowinskii has a color pattern of alternating wide black rings and narrow white rings on its body and tail. The dorsal scales are arranged in 15 rows at midbody. The dorsal scales in the vertebral row are enlarged and hexagonal. The subcaudal scales are divided.

Reproduction

B. slowinskii is oviparous.

Etymology

The specific name, slowinskii, honors Joseph Bruno Slowinski, an American herpetologist who died from a krait bite at age 38.