TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Visitors to a Taipei riverside park on Thursday evening (Aug. 19) were startled to encounter two large, intertwined, many-banded krait snakes.
While jogging in Dajia Riverside Park in Taipei's Zhongshan District on Thursday, a man surnamed Hsieh was surprised by two many-banded kraits (Bungarus multicinctus) "slithering and fighting" — and posted two photos of the venomous serpents to the Facebook group Wild Snake Photos (野生蛇相). One reader suggested the two snakes were mating, but another said that based on their aggressive behavior, they were two males fighting for mating rights.
Another man, surnamed Wang, who was cycling through the park at about the same time also spotted the snakes and posted a video of his encounter. In the video, the two snakes appear to be jostling for position, with one netizen describing the scene as a "fight to the death."
Two many-banded kraits intertwined. (Facebook, 野生蛇相 photo)
Below the video in the Wild Snake Photos group, one netizen commented the snakes are fighting for mating rights to a female krait that must be nearby and the winner will pass on "good genes to the offspring." Another member of the group said the snake, also known as the Taiwanese krait, has neurotoxins that attack the heart and nervous system when it bites.
In serious cases, individuals may experience respiratory failure if they are not treated quickly with antivenom. However, another member of the group pointed out the snakes are generally timid toward humans and rarely attack unprovoked.
The two snakes in this case appeared to be approximately 1.5 meters in length, while the species can reach a maximum length of 1.9 meters. Kraits, which get their name from the alternating black and white bands, can be found across the main island of Taiwan, as well as areas below 500 meters above sea level on the outer islands of Kinmen and Matsu.
If a many-banded krait finds its way into a home, the Council of Agriculture strongly advises the public against trying to kill the snake or otherwise antagonize it, because this is when most bites occur. Instead, they should maintain their distance, monitor its location, use a long-handled broom to try to herd it outside, confine it to a corner, or cover it with a bucket. They should notify the authorities if the snake remains inside the home or has been trapped.
