Dudhwa krait puzzles experts, opens new ecological questions

Its unusual colour pattern and the conspicuous absence of the white or yellow cross-bands or ring-like markings typically seen on common kraits left experts puzzled.

LAKHIMPUR KHERI When Dudhwa motivator and snake rescuer Najrunnishan rescued a snake from a house in Sumernagar village of the Sampurnanagar forest range on August 16, something about it immediately caught her attention.

Common Krait with faded colour and conspicuous absence of the white or yellow cross-bands found in Dudhwa. (HT PHOTO)

Her experience told her it was a common krait (Bungarus caeruleus), but the snake did not quite fit the familiar description. Its unusual colour pattern and the conspicuous absence of the white or yellow cross-bands or ring-like markings typically seen on common kraits left her puzzled.

To clear her doubts she documented the reptile and reached out to biologists and veterinary experts from Dudhwa. Dr Daya Shankar, a veterinarian from Dudhwa examined the snake and too found it unusual adding to the mystery surrounding its distinctive appearance.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, he said it was the first time a common krait with faded colouration and no clearly visible signature ring-bands had been recorded in Dudhwa. He said the presence of such a rare-looking specimen, marked by unusual features, was a significant find for the ecology and biodiversity of Dudhwa.

When contacted, senior Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun biologist Vipul Maurya told Hindustan Times that the unusual fading or disappearance of bands on the common krait (Bungarus caeruleus) is an interesting observation and signified need for further research, particularly as the Terai region, including Dudhwa, is known for its rich diversity of snakes.

He added that the fading of colour and patterns observed in the rescued common krait in Sampurnanagar could be age-related, a phenomenon known as an ontogenetic colour pattern shift.

He said similar colour-pattern changes had been observed in a king rat snake in 2021. He added that the present observation highlighted the need for further morphological and genetic studies to determine whether it represented natural variation, an ontogenetic change or another form of colour aberration.

HT 10LKP4: Common Krait with faded colour and missing ringbands, found in Dudhwa