Two banded kraits were caught within one week in Tainan, with one appearing inside someone’s home, a snake handler said, adding that snake appearances were on the rise due to hot weather.
The banded krait is one of the six most venomous snakes in Taiwan, and they can grow to 2m in length, snake handler Cheng Kun-yan (鄭琨諺) said on Sunday.
There have been several appearances of banded kraits this year, Cheng said, reminding people to avoid disturbing a banded krait if they see one.
Photo courtesy of Cheng Kun-yan
Last week, Cheng caught one of the snakes on Beicheng Road in Tainan’s North District (北區) and one on Gongsue Road in the city’s Annan District (安南).
“The one on Gongsue Road was discovered when the homeowner’s son was outside looking for the home’s water meter,” Cheng said. “The son dropped his headphones and when he went to pick them up, he saw the snake hidden in the grass.”
The banded krait is nocturnal and would generally hide when there is light, but could bite if disturbed, he said, adding that its highly toxic venom would attack the nervous system and cause instant paralysis.
Cheng said that after catching the banded krait, he handed it over to the city’s Agriculture Bureau.
The banded krait and the Taiwanese cobra are venomous snakes commonly found in the low-lying areas of Taiwan. The banded krait is very timid and not likely to attack people if it is not harassed, he said.
In the first half of the year, 417 Taiwanese cobras were caught, as well as 138 banded kraits, 118 Taiwanese habus and 62 bamboo vipers, Tainan Agriculture Bureau statistics showed.
Separately, the Changhua County Fire Department said that 1,375 snakes were caught in the county from January to June, or an average of nearly eight snakes per day.
King rat snakes accounted for the majority of those caught, 598 in total, the fire department said, adding that people have recently reported frequent encounters with snakes in the area around the county’s Bagua Mountain.
As some people have also reported snakes entering their homes, the department said that reducing clutter in and around the home can prevent snakes from invading.
“Keep your home clean and bright. If the space is not inviting to mice, it would not be inviting to snakes either,” the department said.
If a snake enters your home, you should stay calm, observe its movements, call 119 and not attempt to catch the snake, it said.
“If you are bitten, it is important to inform responders of the shape, color and other discerning characteristics of the snake to help doctors provide effective treatment,” the department said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS