Spatial ecology study reveals nest attendance and habitat preference of banded kraits (Bungarus fasciatus)

Abstract

An understanding of the spatial ecology of species living in and around human-dominated habitats is needed to develop conflict mitigation strategies and predict how organisms cope with ongoing anthropogenic habitat alteration. Here we present the results of a six-month telemetry study in Thailand of the banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus), a venomous elapid snake. We quantified home range size and habitat use of three adult kraits (1 male, 2 females) in an agricultural habitat. The kraits travelled an average of 47.20 m ± 23.54 m between shelter sites and occupied home ranges of on average 21.45 ha ± 19.56 ha (95 % dynamic Brownian Bridge Movement Models). They preferred to seek day time refuge amongst less disturbed habitat features, including waterways and rice paddy dykes, while avoiding routinely disturbed monoculture fields. The two female kraits also exhibited reduced movement while simultaneously attending their nests in a shared burrow complex. Fifteen neonates were observed emerging from the nest site. We recommend further investigation of banded krait reproductive ecology and ability to persist in heavily disturbed habitats.