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Ophiophagy by banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus) exposed by a road kill

Bungarus fasciatus (Schneider, 1801) is a nocturnal, large bodied krait species, widely distributed throughout South and Southeast Asia. It is found at a variety of habitats with relatively large home ranges. The ophiophagous diet of this venomous snake comprises a broad spectrum of prey items, even including its congener B. caeruleus. It also preys on skinks, fish, frogs, and eggs of snakes. On 16 June 2021, at 2105 h, a fresh road-kill of an adult male B. fasciatus (total length 1.46 m) was observed on a newly constructed tarmac road (width of road ~6 m) at New Khawlek (23°19'16.00"N, 92°38'36.95"E; alt. 715 m a.s.l.), Lunglei District, Mizoram, India. It seems the krait remained vulnerably exposed on the motorway while consuming a redtail pit-viper, Trimeresurus erythrurus (Cantor, 1839) (total length 48.8 cm), and was fatally run over while busy swallowing more than half of the length of its prey, most probably a few minutes prior to our arrival at the site.