Black-headed Cat Snake
Boiga nigriceps
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyColubridae (Colubrid Snakes)
- GenusBoiga (Australasian Cat Snakes)
- SpeciesBoiga nigriceps (Black-headed Cat Snake)
About the Black-headed Cat Snake
Boiga nigriceps (black-headed cat snake) is a species of colubrid snake from South-East Asia. They are large snakes; adults may attain a total length of 1.75 m (5+1⁄2 ft). It gets its name from the greenish to blackish coloration of its head. Neonates and juveniles do not exhibit this dark color on the head until adulthood. The body color ranges greatly from brown, orange, red, and even black. The ventral region of the snake is yellowish below the neck and white for the rest.
Two subspecies are recognized: Boiga nigriceps nigriceps (Günther, 1863) Boiga nigriceps brevicauda Smith, 1926 Indonesia, Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand. The black-headed cat snake is arboreal, but frequently comes down to the ground in search of prey. They occupy lowland and mid-elevation tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia.
Little is known about the black-headed cat snake's venom toxicity on humans, but it is thought to be comparable to the severity of a copperhead. This rear fanged colubrid's bite rarely results in adverse effects due to its poor venom delivery system. Luckily their fangs' positioning doesn't result... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Gunung Leuser National Park
Western Mangrove Cat Snake
Boiga melanota
White-spotted Cat Snake
Boiga drapiezii
Dog-toothed Cat Snake
Boiga cynodon
Common Bronze-back
Dendrelaphis pictus
Gray Bronzeback
Dendrelaphis caudolineatus
Oriental Whipsnake
Ahaetulla prasina
Black Copper Rat Snake
Coelognathus flavolineatus
Paradise Flying Snake
Chrysopelea paradisi
Triangle Keelback
Xenochrophis trianguligerus
Banded Flying Snake
Chrysopelea pelias
Specklebelly Keelback
Rhabdophis chrysargos
Red-tailed Green Ratsnake
Gonyosoma oxycephalum
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 4 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 5 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 6 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 7 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 8 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 9 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black-headed Cat Snake in Gunung Leuser National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-headed Cat Snake sighting in Gunung Leuser National Park, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black-headed Cat Snake in Gunung Leuser National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Black-headed Cat Snake in Gunung Leuser National Park in our monthly data.