First record of Wall’s Krait Bungarus walli Wall, 1907 (Reptilia: Squamata: Elapidae) from Assam, and diagnostic keys to the kraits of India

We report the occurrence of Bungarus walli Wall, 1907, for the first time from Northeast India, based on morphological and meristic examination of an uncollected specimen encountered during a herpetofaunal survey in Raimona National Park, Assam. Diagnostic characters were compared with published descriptions, and an identification key to the kraits of Northeast India is provided. This finding is the addition of the fifth krait species from Assam. The discovery is of considerable biogeographic and conservation importance, as it fills a major distributional gap and contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the region’s krait diversity. Documenting B. walli in Assam further underscores the significance of systematic surveys in newly declared protected areas, which may reveal additional range extensions and novel records crucial for future biodiversity assessments and conservation planning.