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.
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