Western Mangrove Cat Snake
Boiga melanota
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyColubridae (Colubrid Snakes)
- GenusBoiga (Australasian Cat Snakes)
- SpeciesBoiga melanota (Western Mangrove Cat Snake)
About the Western Mangrove Cat Snake
Boiga melanota, the western mangrove cat snake, is one of the biggest cat snake species in Asia. It is found in Thailand, West Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia (Sumatra). It is shiny bluish black in colour, marked with 40-50 yellow stripes. The mouth and throat area are yellow, whereas the ventral part of the body is yellowish black. The eyes are greyish in colour. It is categorised as a mildly venomous snake.
An adult mangrove snake can reach a length of 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in). It is active at night (nocturnal) and hunts for birds, rats and birds eggs as its main diet. Its large head and mouth enables it to swallows its prey easily.
Recently reclassed from within the Dendrophila family, they share some physical traits such as similar colouring and being rear-fanged. Species Boiga melanota at The Reptile Database Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Western Mangrove Cat Snake in Khao Sok National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Khao Sok National Park
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Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 4 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 5 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Western Mangrove Cat Snake in Khao Sok National Park?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Western Mangrove Cat Snake sighting in Khao Sok National Park, based on 79 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Western Mangrove Cat Snake in Khao Sok National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Western Mangrove Cat Snake in Khao Sok National Park in our monthly data.