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Mangrove cat snake in threat posture

Mangrove cat snake

A favourite of Deadly 60 presenter Steve Backshall, the mangrove cat snake proved to be one of the hardest to capture. It is easy to see why, as these slim yellow and black striped reptiles are brilliantly camouflaged in their brightly sunlit, leafy mangrove habitat. The snake's mild venom is harmless to humans, but very effective against the small animals on which it feeds. Look into a cat snake's eye and it should be obvious where the name of this 'colourful killer of the mangroves' comes from.

Scientific name: Boiga dendrophila

Rank: Species

Common names:

  • Gold-ringed cat snake,
  • Mangrove snake

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Distribution

The Mangrove cat snake can be found in a number of locations including: Asia, Indian subcontinent. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.

Habitats

The following habitats are found across the Mangrove cat snake distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.

Behaviours

Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.

Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web

About

The gold-ringed cat snake or mangrove snake (Boiga dendrophila) is a species of rear-fanged colubrid. It is one of the biggest cat snake species, averaging 6–8 feet (1.8-2.4 m) in length. It is considered mildy-venomous, but moderate envenomations resulting in intense swelling have been reported, though there has never been a confirmed fatality.

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