The species presents a very striking and distinctive coloration – namely a bright red head and tail with a black body that includes a low-lateral narrow bluish white stripe. Having large, smooth scales, the general appearance of the red-headed krait is glossy and attractive. Captives will generally refuse to strike until they have been subjected to prolonged teasing. The average length of a red-headed krait is , with a maximum of .Snakes od Thailand – Krait. Siam-info.com. Retrieved on 2013-01-03. They have short, hollow fangs on their maxillary bones, with inlets at the bases and outlets near their tips. The venom is ducted to the inlet and forced through the hole at the tip of the fang. They are similar to another venomous snake, the blue Malayan coral snake (Calliophis bivirgata) and the nonvenomous red-headed reed snake (Calamaria schlegeli).
