| Boiga philippina | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Boiga |
| Species: | B. philippina |
| Binomial name | |
| Boiga philippina (Peters, 1867) | |
 | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
Dipsas PhilippinaPeters, 1867 | |
Boiga philippina, also known as the tawny cat eyed snake [3] or Philippine cat snake, a species of rear-fanged colubrid snake that is endemic to the Philippines. [1] [2]
It has a very slender body that can reach lengths of up to 213 cm (7.0 ft). [3] The big head is of typical Boiga fashion with big eyes and elliptical pupils much like a cat's eye. The white chin extends down the neck to almost half of its body. Body coloration maybe tan, light brown, brown, coffee-color to a pale orange. The underside is made-up of big belly scute scales that is usually tan to orange in color. Underneath the scales of the neck are yellow, black and white markings. Tongue color is black with white or gray tips.
Boiga philippina is endemic to the Philippines. It is found in Luzon, Camiguin Norte, Babuyan Claro, and Dalupiri at elevations of 50–800 m (160–2,620 ft) above sea level. [1]
This snakes has sighting also on any other Luzon province like Quezon/Rizal Boundary according to FB Group Snake Identification of the Philippines and another sighting from Catanduanes according to John Gil and FB pages called Catanduanes Biodiversity: List of Native and Non Native Species.
It is mostly arboreal and occurs in pristine and disturbed old growth tropical moist forest as well as secondary forest and forest edge habitats. [1]
Like all Boigas, it is highly nocturnal. Its generally docile but a very nervous snake when alarmed. It will not hesitate to bite, however. When threatened; it raises its head, expands the scales of its neck to show off its warning coloration, as well as to make itself appear bigger than it really is, then makes a puffing noise and may strike repeatedly. An arboreal snake, it will rarely descend on the ground unless it is looking for prey or a place to hide in times of heavy rain.
Like all cat-eyed snakes, it is a very voracious hunter, actively pursuing its prey that consists primarily of birds and their fledglings . They are usually found near chicken coops where they feed on eggs. They may sometimes enter houses and feed on captive pet birds. Other prey may also be taken, given the opportunity. Frogs, lizards and small rodents may sometimes be eaten.
Mating usually begins around November up until January, where it lays 6 to 14 eggs in a single clutch, usually deposited inside holes in tree trunks or on loose ground covered by low vegetation.
Males are determined by their slender bodies, brighter coloration and a very long tail. Females on the other hand; are stouter with a much shorter tail and duller colors.
They usually live for up to 15 years in captivity and less in the wild.
Like most rear-fanged snakes, the tawny cat-eyed snake is mildly venomous. Although its venom is said to be slightly stronger than most Boiga species, its rounded mouth is very unlikely to cause an envenomating bite. If it does come to a point of envenomation, there is swelling in the bite area that usually subsides within two to three days. No fatalities have been reported so far.
The IUCN lists this species as of "least concern" because it has wide distribution and it is presumed that the population is large; it is suffering habitat loss and fragmentation, but it is not declining fast enough to warrant listing in a more threatened category. [1]
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 brown tree snake, also known as the brown catsnake, is an arboreal rear-fanged colubrid snake native to eastern and northern coastal Australia, eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and many islands in northwestern Melanesia. The snake is slender, in order to facilitate climbing, and can reach up to 2 meters in length. Its coloration may also vary, some being brown, green, or even red. Brown tree snakes prey on many things, ranging from invertebrates to birds, and even some smaller mammals. It is one of the very few colubrids found in Australia, where elapids are more common. Due to an accidental introduction after the events of World War II, this snake is now infamous for being an invasive species responsible for extirpating the majority of the native bird population in Guam. Currently, efforts are being made to reduce and control the population on Guam and prevent the snake from spreading to other locations.
Boiga andamanensis, known commonly as the Andaman cat snake, is a species of rear-fanged snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Andaman Islands.
Boiga ceylonensis is a species of rear-fanged, mildly venomous, nocturnal, arboreal colubrid snake endemic to Sri Lanka.
Boiga cyanea, commonly known as the Green cat snake, is a colubrid snake species found in South Asia, China and South-east Asia.
Boiga cynodon, commonly known as the dog-toothed cat snake, is a nocturnal species of rear-fanged colubrid snake endemic to Asia.
Boiga dendrophila, commonly called the mangrove snake or the gold-ringed cat snake, is a species of rear-fanged venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to southeast Asia. It is one of the biggest cat snake species, averaging 8–9 feet in length. It is considered mildly venomous. Although moderate envenomations resulting in intense swelling have been reported, there has never been a confirmed fatality.
Boiga multomaculata, also called the many-spotted cat snake, large-spotted cat snake and marbled cat-eyed snake, is a species of rear-fanged colubrid snakes.
The collared cat snake is a species of nocturnal, tree-dwelling, rear-fanged colubrid snake endemic to southwestern India.
Boiga trigonata, commonly known as the Indian gamma snake or common cat snake, is a species of rear-fanged colubrid endemic to South Asia.
Lycodon capucinus, also known as the common wolf snake, is a species of colubrid snake, which is commonly found in the Indo-Australian Archipelago. Named after their enlarged front teeth, which gives them a muzzled appearance similar to canines, it also makes the snout somewhat more squarish than other snakes.
Gonyosoma oxycephalum, known commonly as the arboreal ratsnake, the red-tailed green rat snake, and the red-tailed racer, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Southeast Asia.
Ptyas mucosa, commonly known as the Oriental rat snake, dhaman or Indian rat snake, is a common non-venomous species of colubrid snake found in parts of South and Southeast Asia. Dhamans are large snakes. Typical mature total length is around 1.5 to 1.95 m though some exceed 2 m. The record length for this species was 3.7 m, second only to their cousin Ptyas carinata among living colubrid snakes. Despite their large size, oriental ratsnakes are usually quite slender with even a specimen of 2 m commonly measuring 4 to 6 cm only around in diameter. Furthermore, the average weight of ratsnakes caught in Java was around 877 to 940 g, though larger males of over 2.3 m may easily weigh over 2.5 kg (5.5 lb). Their color varies from pale browns in dry regions to nearly black in moist forest areas. Rat snakes are diurnal, semi-arboreal, non-venomous, and fast-moving. Rat snakes eat a variety of prey and are frequently found in urban areas where rodents thrive.
The Philippine cobra also called Philippine spitting cobra or northern Philippine cobra, is a stocky, highly venomous species of spitting cobra native to the northern regions of the Philippines. The Philippine cobra is called ulupong in Tagalog, carasaen in Ilocano.
Diadophis punctatus, commonly known as the ring-necked snake or ringneck snake, is a harmless species of colubrid snake found throughout much of the United States, central Mexico, and south-eastern Canada. Ring-necked snakes are secretive, nocturnal snakes, so are rarely seen during the day time. They are best known for their unique defense posture of curling up their tails, exposing their bright red-orange posterior, ventral surface when threatened.
Boiga jaspidea commonly known as the jasper cat snake is a species of rear-fanged colubrid that is uncommon throughout its range.
Boiga drapiezii, commonly known as Drapiez's cat snake and the white-spotted cat snake, is a species of long and slender rear-fanged snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to Maritime Southeast Asia and is common throughout its range.
Boiga nigriceps is a species of colubrid snake from South-East Asia. They are large snakes; adults may attain a total length of 1.75 m.
Dryophiops philippina, also known as the keel-bellied whipsnake or Philippine whipsnake, a species of rear-fanged colubrid snake that is endemic to the Philippines. One similar species, Dryophiops rubescens exists in Thailand and Malaysia.
Boiga kraepelini, commonly known as the square-headed cat snake, Kelung cat snake, or Taiwanese tree snake is a species of mildly venomous, rear-fanged snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to East Asia and Southeast Asia. Its specific name, kraepelini, honours Karl Kraepelin, a German naturalist. The common name, Kelung cat snake, refers to its type locality, Keelung in northern Taiwan.
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