Appearance
Dorsum reddish-brown with a purplish brown vertebral series of blotches running from nape to the mid-tail region. A lateral series of the same color also can be seen. Head is purplish black with a light gray post-ocular stripe. Ventral side is creamy with gray or brown spots.Maximum length recorded is 522mm.
Naming
The specific name, ''barnesii'', is in honor of Richard Hawksworth Barnes , who collected specimens in Ceylon for the British Museum , including the type specimen of this species.Defense
Although ''panduru mapila'' is only mildly venomous, and bites on humans produce only local symptoms, there is a common misconception in Sri Lanka that all ''mapilas-මාපිලා'' are highly venomous and could kill a human with its venom. This misconception may be because the name ''mapila'' is used to refer to different species in different parts of the island. Due to differences in local knowledge and nomenclature, the krait species found in Sri Lanka are also referred to or misidentified as ''mapila''. Both krait species mentioned are highly venomous.References:
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