Boiga jaspidea

jasper cat snake
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Subfamily: Colubrinae
Genus: Boiga
Species: B. jaspidea
Binomial name
Boiga jaspidea
(Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)
Synonyms

Triglyphodon jaspideum Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854
Dipsas jaspidea Jan, 1863
Dipsadomorphus jaspideus Boulenger, 1896

The jasper cat snake (Boiga jaspidea) is a small and slender species of rear-fanged colubrid that is uncommon throughout its range.

Description

Its body is reddish to chocolate brown, but rich black and white speckles cover the entire body except for the ventrals, which are yellow. In addition, there are faint black lateral bars, and white spots on the ventrolateral area. Its maximum length is 1.5 m (4.9 feet).

Geographic range

Indonesia, Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand

Habitat and behavior

The jasper cat snake lives in arboreal habitats in tropical rainforests, and sometimes among low-lying shrubs. It has been reported to lay up to three eggs in termite nests. Little else is known about this elusive snake.

Diet

The jasper cat snake feeds on geckos and other smaller snakes in the wild.

References

    External links


    This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, September 01, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.