''Boiga ceylonensis'' (Sri Lanka cat snake) is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of rear-fanged, mildly venomous,

nocturnal Nocturnality is a ethology, behavior in some non-human animals characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatur ...

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally (scansorial), but others are exclusively arboreal. The hab ...

colubrid Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from , 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest fossil species of the family date back to the Late Eocene epoch, with earlier origins suspected. Colu ...

snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...

endemic to

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

Description

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. BoigaWynaad

Distribution range

It is an endemic species to

. Previously believed to occur in the Western Ghats of

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, but was falsified by recent studies.

Interaction with humans

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. This snake is known as by the Sinhala speaking community of Sri Lanka.

Notes

References

* Günther, A. 1858 Catalogue of Colubrine snakes of the British Museum. London, I – XVI, 1 – 281 * Wall, Frank 1921 Ophidia Taprobanica or the Snakes of Ceylon. Colombo Mus. (H. R. Cottle, government printer), Colombo. xxii, 581 pages * GANESH, S.R., N.S. ACHYUTHAN, S.R. CHANDRAMOULI & GERNOT VOGEL (2020). Taxonomic revision of the Boiga ceylonensis group (Serpentes: Colubridae): re-examination of type specimens, redefinition of nominate taxa and an updated key.4779 (3): 301–332. {{Taxonbar, from=Q656041 ceylonensis Reptiles of Sri Lanka Reptiles described in 1858 Taxa named by Albert Günther

Description

Distribution range

Interaction with humans

See also

Notes

References