| Sri Lanka cat snake | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Boiga |
| Species: | B. ceylonensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Boiga ceylonensis (Günther, 1858) | |
| Synonyms | |
Dipsadomorphus ceylonensis Günther, 1858 Contents | |
Boiga ceylonensis (Sri Lanka cat snake) is a species of rear-fanged, mildly venomous, nocturnal, arboreal colubrid snake endemic to Sri Lanka. [2]
This is a thin-bodied, elongate, slim, tree snake. Taxonomic features: Dorsal Scales in 19 rows, oblique ; scales along the vertebral row much enlarged, and at mid body nearly as broad as long. Ventrals scales 217–237; the anals are undivided, subcaudals 95–109. The colour is brown or greyish above, with a series of blackish transverse cross bands ; nape with a blackish blotch, or three blackish longitudinal streaks, or a transverse bar ; a more or less distinct brown crown marking on top of head and a thick streak from the eye to the angle of the mouth ; lower parts yellowish, dotted with brown, usually with a lateral series of small brown dots. They are about 4 feet long from tip to tip with the tail 10 inches.
It is an endemic species to Sri Lanka. Previously believed to occur in the Western Ghats of India, but was falsified by recent studies.
This snake frequently ventures into human dwellings in search of prey such as geckos. It has a somewhat aggressive disposition and boldly strikes out when disturbed or cornered. [3] This snake is known as Nidi mapila by the Sinhala speaking community of Sri Lanka. [4]
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.
The Uropeltidae, also commonly known as shield tail snakes, shield-tailed snakes or earth snakes, are a family of primitive, nonvenomous, burrowing snakes native to Peninsular India and Sri Lanka. The name is derived from the Greek words ura ('tail') and pelte ('shield'), indicating the presence of the large keratinous shield at the tip of the tail. Seven or eight genera are recognized, depending on whether Teretrurus rhodogaster is treated in its own genus or as part of Brachyophidium. The family comprises over 50 species. These snakes are not well known in terms of their diversity, biology, and natural history.
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.
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.
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.
Sibynophis subpunctatus, commonly known as Duméril's black-headed snake or Jerdon's many-toothed snake, is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake endemic to Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.
Rhinophis oxyrhynchus, also known as Schneider's earth snake or Schneider's shieldtail, is a species of uropeltid snake endemic to Sri Lanka.
Uropeltis ceylanica is a species of nonvenomous shieldtail snake in the family Uropeltidae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats of South India. No subspecies are currently recognized as being valid, but the presence of several synonyms, many recently resurrected, calls for further taxonomic studies of this species complex. It is a burrowing snake with a pointy head equipped to penetrate the soil. It has a thick tail which looks as if it has been cut at an angle. In Kerala it's called iru thala moori, which means two headed organism, as the tail end looks like another head. It primarily eats earth worms.
Hypnale nepa, the Sri Lankan hump-nosed viper, is a venomous pitviper species endemic to Sri Lanka where it is known as මූකලන් තෙලිස්සා in Sinhala. Earlier thought that Hypnale walli and Hypnale nepa were two distinct species, but it is now accepted that it is the same species and Hypnale walli is a synonym name. Relatively small, they are distinguished by a strongly upturned snout. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Boiga barnesii is a species of cat snake endemic to Sri Lanka. It is known as Barnes' cat snake in English and panduru mapila-පදුරු මාපිලා in Sinhala. It is a member of the snake family Colubridae. It is distributed in the lowlands and midlands up to approximately 600 m (2,000 ft) above sea level, with known localities include Matale, Kandy, Gannoruwa, Gampola, Ambagamuwa, Balangoda, Labugama and Sinharaja Rain Forest. Barnes' cat snake is mainly a forest-dwelling species but may occasionally be found in human habitats. It is the smallest cat snake in Sri Lanka and grows up to a maximum of about 600 mm (24 in) in snout-vent length. Being a nocturnal and an arboreal hunter, it mainly feeds on agamid lizards and geckos. The day time is usually spent inside a tree hole or a crevice. It’s a very timid and a mildly venomous snake and rarely attempts to bite.
Rhinophis blythii, or Blyth's earth snake, is a species of snake in the family Uropeltidae. The species is endemic to the rain forests and grasslands of Sri Lanka.
Rhinophis homolepis, commonly known as Trevelyan's earth snake, is a species of snake in the family Uropeltidae. It is endemic to the rain forests and grasslands of Sri Lanka.
Rhinophis porrectus, or Willey's earth snake, is a species of snake in the family Uropeltidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka.
The Ceylonese cylinder snake is a species of snake in the family Cylindrophiidae endemic to Sri Lanka. It is known from plains up to 1000m, localities include Gampola, Peradeniya, Kandy, Pallekele, and Elahera in the central hills and NIkaweratiya in the north-western part of the island.
Rhabdophis ceylonensis is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka. The species is commonly known as the Sri Lanka blossom krait, the Sri Lanka keelback, and මල් කරවලා or නිහලුවා (nihaluwa) in Sinhala. It is a moderately venomous snake.
Aspidura ceylonensis, also known as the Ceylon keelback, black-spined snake, or slender mould snake, is a colubrid snake endemic to Sri Lanka. It is locally known as කුරුන් කරවලා or රත් කරවලා in Sinhala.
Calotes ceylonensis, commonly known as the painted-lipped lizard or the Ceylon bloodsucker, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. It is one of four Calotes species endemic to Sri Lanka.
Uropeltis shorttii, also known commonly as the Shevaroy Hills earth snake and Shortt's shieldtail snake, is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Uropeltidae. The species is endemic to the southern Eastern Ghats of India. This species was first described as Silybura shorttii by British naturalist Richard Henry Beddome in 1863. It is found only in the Shevaroy Hills of Salem district in Tamil Nadu state in South India. For a long time, this species was misclassified into Uropeltis ceylanica, a snake endemic to the Western Ghats, till a recent taxonomic study proved it to be a distinct species with a very narrow geographic range. It is a burrowing snake, presumed to be nocturnal, feeding on soft-bodied worms. It becomes active during the rains. U. shorttii has most recently been assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2019, and is listed as "Critically Endangered" under criteria B1ab(iii).
Boiga whitakeri, or Whitaker's cat snake, is a species 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.
