Toxicodryas blandingii

Toxicodryas blandingii
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Toxicodryas
Species:	T. blandingii
Binomial name
	Toxicodryas blandingii; (Hallowell, 1844)
Synonyms
	Dipsas blandingii; Hallowell, 1844; Toxicodryas blandingii; — Hallowell, 1857; Dipsadomorphus blandingii; — F. Werner, 1899; Boiga blandingii; — Schmidt, 1923; Toxicodryas blandingii; — Wallach et al., 2014;

Last updated October 10, 2023

Toxicodryas blandingii, commonly known as Blanding's cat snake and Blanding's tree snake, is a species of rear-fanged venomous snake of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Etymology

The specific name, blandingii, is in honor of William Blanding (1772–1857), an American physician and naturalist.^[3]

Geographic range

T. blandingii is found in Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.^[2]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of T. blandingii are forest and savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 2,200 m (7,200 ft). However, it is also found in gardens, parks, and in and around houses.^[1]

Description

T. blandingii is a long and slender species. The longest specimen measured by Boulenger (1896) had a total length of 2.2 m (7.2 ft), including a tail 0.5 m (1.6 ft) long.

Diet

T. blandingii preys upon lizards including dwarf chameleons, small mammals including bats, and birds.^[1]

Reproduction

T. blandingii is oviparous.^[2] Clutch size is 7–14 eggs.^[1]

Related Research Articles

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 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.

Boiga ochracea, commonly called the tawny cat snake, is a species of rear-fanged snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to South Asia.

The eastern trinket snake is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to South Asia.

Grayia is a genus of snakes, commonly referred to as African water snakes, in the family Colubridae. The genus, which is native to tropical Africa, is the only genus in the colubrid subfamily Grayiinae.

The Colubrinae are a subfamily of the family Colubridae of snakes. It includes numerous genera, and although taxonomic sources often disagree on the exact number, The Reptile Database lists 717 species in 92 genera as of September 2019. It is the second largest subfamily of colubrids, after Dipsadinae. Many of the most commonly known snakes are members of this subfamily, including rat snakes, king snakes, milk snakes, vine snakes, and indigo snakes.

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.

Goldie's tree cobra, also known commonly as the African tree cobra and as Gold's tree cobra, is a species of venomous tree cobra in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Central and Western Africa. This species is one of the two tree cobras in Africa, the other being the black tree cobra. Goldie's tree cobra is one of the most venomous snakes and creatures in Africa.

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.

The large-eyed green tree snake, also known commonly as the splendid dagger-tooth tree snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Africa. There are three recognized subspecies.

The spotted dagger-tooth tree snake is a species of venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is indigenous to Middle Africa.

Boiga bourreti is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Vietnam.

Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia, commonly known as the herald snake or the red-lipped snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa.

The forest vine snake, also known commonly as the twig snake and the bird snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Africa.

The olive marsh snake is a species of snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Toxicodryas pulverulenta, commonly known as Fischer's cat snake, Fischer's tree snake, and the powdered tree snake, is a species of rear-fanged venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Toxicodryas is a genus of rear-fanged venomous snakes in the family Colubridae.

Boaedon olivaceus is a species of snake in the family Lamprophiidae. The species is endemic to Africa.

Apostolepis dorbignyi, also known commonly as the Bolivian burrowing snake and Dorbigny's blackhead, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to western South America.

References

1 2 3 4 Rödel M-O, Luiselli L, Segniagbeto G, Howell K, Msuya CA, Ngalason W (2021). "Toxicodryas blandingii ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T13265740A13265749.en. Accessed on 14 March 2023.
1 2 3 Species Toxicodryas blandingii at The Reptile Database
↑ 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 blandingii, p. 27).