Barnes' Cat Snake
Boiga barnesii
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyColubridae (Colubrid Snakes)
- GenusBoiga (Australasian Cat Snakes)
- SpeciesBoiga barnesii (Barnes' Cat Snake)
About the Barnes' Cat Snake
Boiga barnesii is a species of cat snake endemic to Sri Lanka. It is known as Barnes' cat snake in English and panduru mapila-පදුරු මාපිලා in Sinhala. It is a member of the snake family Colubridae. It is distributed in the lowlands and midlands up to approximately 600 m (2,000 ft) above sea level, with known localities include Matale, Kandy, Gannoruwa, Gampola, Ambagamuwa, Balangoda, Labugama and Sinharaja Rain Forest. Barnes' cat snake is mainly a forest-dwelling species but may occasionally be found in human habitats. It is the smallest cat snake in Sri Lanka and grows up to a maximum of about 600 mm (24 in) in snout-vent length. Being a nocturnal and an arboreal hunter, it mainly feeds on agamid lizards and geckos. The day time is usually spent inside a tree hole or a crevice. It's a very timid and a mildly venomous snake and rarely attempts to bite.
The specific name, barnesii, is in honour of Richard Hawksworth Barnes (1831-1904), who collected specimens in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) for the British Museum (Natural History), including the type specimen of this species.
B. barnesii has 19 scale rows at midbody. It has 2–3 preoculars. The ventrals number... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Barnes' Cat Snake in Sinharaja Forest Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Sinharaja Forest Reserve
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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 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Barnes' Cat Snake in Sinharaja Forest Reserve?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Barnes' Cat Snake sighting in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Barnes' Cat Snake in Sinharaja Forest Reserve?
August has the highest sighting rate for Barnes' Cat Snake in Sinharaja Forest Reserve in our monthly data.