Rainforest Cat-eyed Snake

Rainforest Cat-eyed Snake

Leptodeira frenata

Silhouette: PhyloPic · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park
18 Verified sightings at Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park From 2019 to 2026
65 Verified sightings across all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted Active throughout day and night

About the Rainforest Cat-eyed Snake

Leptodeira frenata, also known commonly as the Mayan cat-eyed snake and the rainforest cat-eyed snake, is a species of mildly venomous snake in the subfamily Dipsadinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, and there are three recognized subspecies.

Leptodeira frenata is found on the Atlantic slope from neotropical Mexico southward through Belize to northern Guatemala. The preferred natural habitat of Leptodeira frenata is forest, at altitudes of 150–450 m (490–1,480 ft).

Leptodeira frenata is terrestrial and partly arboreal. Leptodeira frenata is venomous. Bites to humans may cause intense pain, swelling, and bloody blisters. The following three subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.

Leptodeira frenata frenata (Cope, 1886) Leptodeira frenata malleisi Dunn & Stuart, 1935 Leptodeira frenata yucatanensis (Cope, 1887) Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Leptodeira.

The subspecific name, malleisi, is in honor of ornithologist... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
2 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
3 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
4 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
5 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Rainforest Cat-eyed Snake in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park?

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Rainforest Cat-eyed Snake sighting in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Rainforest Cat-eyed Snake in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Rainforest Cat-eyed Snake in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park in our monthly data.

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