Sepedon haemachates is another hooded snake in South Africa, where it is known as the "Ringhals," i.e. banded neck. It differs from Naja by the absence of small teeth on the maxillaries behind the fangs, and by the strongly keeled scales, which form nineteen rows. The general colour is black above variegated with yellow or pale brown; the under parts are also black, often with one or two whitish bands across the lower portion of the neck.
The Rev. G. Fisk[[191]] mentions the case of two young "Ringhals," of 10 and 9 inches in length, having been attacked and partly devoured by a mouse, supposed to be Dendromys melanotis, which was put with the snakes in a band-box. On the habits of the Ringhals see Symonds.[[192]]
Fig. 169.–Sepedon haemachates (the "Ringhals"). × ⅕.
Bungarus.–The scales are smooth, and form thirteen to seventeen rows. The spine is very prominent, and the median row of scales which covers the ridge is much enlarged. There is no dilatable hood. In other respects Bungarus is closely allied to Naja; about half-a-dozen species, in South-Eastern Asia.
B. fasciatus reaches a length of 5 feet. The general colour is bright yellow, alternating with blackish rings.
B. coeruleus s. candidus is the dreaded "Krait," occurring in the whole of the Indian sub-region. It is dark brown or bluish black with narrow cross-bars or white specks, or it is alternately barred brown and yellow; the under parts are uniform white. Total length rarely 4 feet.
The "Krait" seems to cause more deaths in India than any other snake, since it is very common, especially in Bengal and in Southern India, and often creeps into the houses. It lives chiefly on rats, lizards, and snakes.
Callophis.–With only thirteen rows of smooth scales. The head is small, not distinct from the neck. The small eye has a round pupil. The short tail has two ventral rows of scales. The whole body is cylindrical. Several small species, one or two feet in length, in South-Eastern Asia. C. macclellandi in India and Indo-China is reddish brown above, yellow below, with regular, equidistant, black, light-edged cross-bands or rings. Total length up to 2 feet.
Doliophis differs from Callophis mainly by the enormously developed poison-glands which, instead of being restricted to the head, extend along the anterior third of the body, gradually thickening, and terminating in front of the heart with club-shaped ends. Owing to the extension of these glands, which can be felt through the skin as thickenings at the end of the first third of the body, the heart has been shifted farther back than in any other snake. Several species in Indo-China and in the Malay Islands, D. intestinalis with many colour-variations.