[1][2][3] With a maximum length exceeding 2 m (6 ft 7 in), it is the longest krait with a distinguishable gold and black pattern.

[4] While this species is generally considered timid and docile, resembling other members of the genus, its venom is highly neurotoxic which is potentially lethal to humans.

tail end blunt; distinct vertebral ridge down the back formed by the neural processes of the vertebrae; ventrals 200–234.

[8] The scientific name of the genus is derived from 'bangarum' in Telugu (also in Kannada), meaning "gold", referring to the yellow rings around its body.

[6] The banded krait occurs in the whole of the Indo-Chinese subregion, the Malay Peninsula and Indonesian archipelago, and southern China.

[6] It has been recorded eastwards from central India through Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and southern China (including Hainan and Hong Kong), Malaysia and the main Indonesian islands of Borneo (Java and Sumatra), as well as Singapore.

When harassed, they will usually hide their heads under their coils, and do not generally attempt to bite,[3] though at night they are much more active and widely considered to be more dangerous then.

[16] The major clinical effects caused by the venom of this species include vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and dizziness.