Boiga beddomei

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Boiga beddomei
Beddome's Cat Snake (boiga beddomei) from Goregaon Raigad.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Boiga
Species:
B. beddomei
Binomial name
Boiga beddomei
(Wall, 1909)
Boiga beddomei distribution.png
Synonyms [2]
  • Dipsadomorphus beddomeiWall, 1909
  • Boiga beddomei Das, 1996

Boiga beddomei, commonly known as Beddome's cat snake, is a species of rear-fanged snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats of India, in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa states. [3] [4]

Contents

Geographic range

B. beddomei is found in India, in northern parts of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra state (Bhimashankar, Mulshi, Koyna, Vasota). It is also found in Gujarat, Goa and northern karnataka [5] in the hill ranges. [6]

Etymology

Boiga beddomei is named after Richard Henry Beddome (1830–1911), British army officer and botanist. [7]

Description

Boiga beddomei is a slender snake. The head is distinct from the neck. The vertebral scales are strongly enlarged. The dorsum is grayish brown with dark brown vertebral cross bars. The ventral surface is yellowish-cream, densely powdered with blackish spots.

Scalation

The dorsal scales are arranged in 19 oblique rows at midbody; the vertebral row is strongly enlarged and hexagonal. The ventrals number 238–252 and the subcaudals number 113–127.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of B. beddomei is evergreen forest, at altitudes up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft). It is nocturnal and arboreal in habits.

Diet

B. beddomei feeds mainly on dragon lizard, geckos, skinks and frogs.

Reproduction

B. beddomei is oviparous. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Boiga</i> Genus of snakes

Boiga is a large genus of rear-fanged, mildly venomous snakes, known commonly as cat-eyed snakes or simply cat snakes, in the family Colubridae. Species of the genus Boiga are native to southeast Asia, India, and Australia, but due to their extremely hardy nature and adaptability, have spread to many other suitable habitats around the world. There are 38 recognized species in the genus. According to the study done by Jiří Smíd regarding Old World cat snakes, the ancestor of the cat snake originated in Africa, from where it diversified and expanded to other countries. Despite this diversity however, the different species have very similar needs in terms of temperature and precipitation.

Beddome may refer to:

<i>Craspedocephalus strigatus</i> Species of reptile

Craspedocephalus strigatus, commonly known as the horseshoe pit viper, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats of India. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.

<i>Ahaetulla dispar</i> Species of reptile

Ahaetulla dispar, the Gunther's vine snake, is a species of tree snake endemic to the Western Ghats. It is primarily restricted to the Shola forests of the Southern Western Ghats where it is found often on high-elevation montane grasslands and the low shrub belts.

<i>Ahaetulla perroteti</i> Species of snake

Ahaetulla perroteti, known commonly as the bronze-headed vine snake, Perrotet's vine snake, or the Western Ghats bronzeback, is a species of mildly venomous, rear-fanged snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats in South India.

Beddome's worm snake is a species of harmless blind snake in the family Gerrhopilidae. The species is native to southern India. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nilgiri keelback</span> Species of snake

The Nilgiri keelback, also known commonly as Beddome's keelback, is a species of snake found in the Western Ghats in India. The species is named after Richard Henry Beddome, 1830–1911, British army officer and naturalist. It was first discovered near the Nilgiris but is now known more widely from the Western Ghats. This snake is terrestrial and feeds on toads.

<i>Boiga ceylonensis</i> Species of colubrid snake

Boiga ceylonensis is a species of rear-fanged, mildly venomous, nocturnal, arboreal colubrid snake endemic to Sri Lanka.

<i>Boiga dightoni</i> Species of snake

Boiga dightoni, commonly known as Dighton's catsnake, the Pirmad cat snake, and the Travancore cat snake, is a species of rear-fanged mildly venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats of India.

<i>Boiga forsteni</i> Species of snake

Boiga forsteni, also known commonly as Forsten's cat snake, is a species of mildly venomous rear-fanged snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to South Asia.

<i>Lycodon travancoricus</i> Species of snake

Lycodon travancoricus, commonly known as the Travancore wolf snake, is a species of colubrid snake endemic to south India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beddome's coral snake</span> Species of snake

Beddome's coral snake is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to hills of peninsular India.

Xylophis stenorhynchus is a species of snake found in the Western Ghats of India.

Uropeltis dindigalensis, commonly known as the Dindigul uropeltis and the Sirumalai Hills earth snake, is a species of snake in the family Uropeltidae. The species is endemic to Sirumalai and surrounding hill ranges of the southern Eastern Ghats, in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu state in South India.

Captain's wood snake, also known commonly as Captain's xylophis, is a species of snake in the family Pareidae. The species is endemic to India.

<i>Dendrelaphis girii</i> Species of reptile

Dendrelaphis girii, Giri's bronzeback tree snake or Giri's bronzeback, is a species of diurnal, arboreal, Colubrid snake endemic to the Western Ghats of southwestern India.

<i>Chrysopelea taprobanica</i> Species of snake

Chrysopelea taprobanica, the Sri Lankan flying snake or Indian flying snake, is a species of gliding snake distributed in India and Sri Lanka. It can glide, as with all species of its genus Chrysopelea, by stretching the body into a flattened strip using its ribs. The snake is known as "dangara dandaa - දඟරදන්ඩා" in Sinhala, due to its folding postures.

<i>Boiga flaviviridis</i> Species of snake

Boiga flaviviridis, the yellow-green cat snake, is a species of mildly venomous, rear-fanged snake of the family Colubridae, which is found in India. It is a rear fanged, nocturnal, arboreal species of snake that probably feeds on lizards, frogs and small birds. It was first described in 2013.

<i>Lycodon deccanensis</i> Species of snake

Lycodon deccanensis, the Deccan wolf snake, is a species of nocturnal, non-venomous colubrid snake species endemic to southern India. It was previously mistaken for another related species, Lycodon travancoricus, but later taxonomic studies revealed its distinctiveness.

<i>Boiga dightoni whitakeri</i> Species of snake

Boiga dightoni whitakeri, or Whitaker's cat snake, is a subspecies of nocturnal, arboreal, opisthoglyphous snake of the family Colubridae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats of South India, in Kerala and Tamil Nadu states.

References

  1. Captain, A.; Srinivasulu, C.; Srinivasulu, B.; Vyas, R.; Mohapatra, P.; Kulkarni, N.U. (2021). "Boiga beddomei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T176619A123302891. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T176619A123302891.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Boiga beddomei at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 14 January 2017.
  3. Ganesh, S.R.; Achyuthan, N.S.; Chandramouli, S.R.; Vogel, G. (2020). "Taxonomic revision of the Boiga ceylonensis group (Serpentes: Colubridae): re-examination of type specimens, redefinition of nominate taxa and an updated key". Zootaxa. 4779 (3): 301–322. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4779.3.
  4. Boundy, Jeff (2020). Snakes of the World: a supplement (First ed.). Florida, USA: CRC Press. p. 282 pp. ISBN   9781138618138.
  5. "Karnataka", Wikipedia, 2022-12-10, retrieved 2022-12-18
  6. Ganesh, S.R.; Mallik, A.K.; Achyuthan, N.S.; Shanker, K.; Vogel, G. (2021). "A new species of Boiga (Serpentes: Colubridae) from the Southern Western Ghats of India with a molecular phylogeny and expanded characterisation of related species". Zootaxa. 4981 (3): 449–468. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4981.3.2. PMID   34186711. S2CID   235688650.
  7. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore:Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5. (Boiga beddomei, p. 21).

Further reading