Boiga dightoni

Boiga dightoni
	Tamil Nadu, 2016
Conservation status
	; Data Deficient (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Boiga
Species:	B. dightoni
Binomial name
	Boiga dightoni; (Boulenger, 1894)
Synonyms
	Dipsas dightoni; Boulenger, 1894; Dipsadomorphus dightonii; — Boulenger, 1896; Boiga dightoni; — M.A. Smith, 1943;

Last updated January 17, 2024

Boiga dightoni, commonly known as Dighton's catsnake, the Pirmad cat snake, and the Travancore cat snake,^[3]^[4] is a species of rear-fanged mildly venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats of India.

Etymology

The common name, Pirmad cat snake, refers to Peermade (also spelled Peermad, Pirmaad, Pirmed, and Pirmedu), a place in Kerala, India, elevation 3,300 feet (1,006 m).

The specific name or epithet, dightoni, is in honor of tea planter S.M. Dighton, the collector of the holotype specimen.^[4]

Geographic range

In India B. dightoni is found in the Ponmudi Hills and Travancore Hills of Kerala State, and in the Anaimalai Hills and Palni Hills of western Tamil Nadu State.^[3]

Description

B. dightoni is pale reddish-brown dorsally, with a series of salmon-red blotches. Its head is pale brown with minute blackish dots. Ventrally, it is yellowish, finely-dotted with brown. The outer ends of the ventral scales are salmon-pink. It is medium-sized, adults attaining a total length (including tail) of 1.1 m (3.6 feet).^[5]

Behavior

B. dightoni is arboreal and nocturnal.^[3]

Habitat

B. dightoni inhabits trees and shrubs in forested areas,^[3] at altitudes of 800–1,100 m (2,600–3,600 ft).^[1]

Diet

B. dightoni preys on lizards, including Calotes versicolor.^[3]

Reproduction

B. dightoni is oviparous.^[2]

Venom

Although rear-fanged and possessing a mild venom, B. dightoni is not considered dangerous to humans, mainly due to its small size.^[3]

Related Research Articles

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Telescopus rhinopoma is a species of rear-fanged mildly venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is found in the Middle East (Iran), Afghanistan, Pakistan desert areas like Bahawalpur, and Central Asia (Turkmenistan).

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References

1 2 Srinivasulu C, Srinivasulu B, Deepak V, Mohapatra P, Vijayakumar SP (2013). "Boiga dightoni ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T172674A1364625.en. Accessed on 19 Aug 2022.
1 2 Species Boiga dightoni at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Das I (2002). A Photographic Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of India. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 144 pp. ISBN 0-88359-056-5. (Boiga dightoni, p. 22).
1 2 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 dightoni, p. 72).
↑ Boulenger GA (1896). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ) .... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I-XXV. (Dipsadomorphus dightonii, new combination, pp. 69–70).