Gold-ringed cat snake
The Mangrove snake (Boiga dendrophila) is a species of rear-fanged mildly venomous snake that can be found only in southeast Asia. It is one of the biggest cat snake species. According to the study done by Jiří Smíd regarding Old World cat snakes, the ancestor of the cat snake originated in Africa, from where it diversified and expanded to other countries.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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Ambush predatorAmbush predators are carnivorous animals that capture or trap prey by stealth, luring, or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an elemen...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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Mildly venomousMildly venomous animals produce venom, which they use to kill or disable prey, defend themselves from predators or conspecifics, or in agonistic en...
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starts withMangrove snakes are black above, with yellow transverse bands, continuous or not extending across the back; labials are yellow, with black edges. The lower surface is black or bluish, uniform or speckled with yellow and the throat is yellow in color.
Mangrove snakes are found in Cambodia, Indonesia (Bangka, Belitung, Borneo, Java, Riau Archipelago, Sulawesi, Sumatra), Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. These snakes live in mangrove forests and lowland rainforests usually near water.
Mangrove snakes are potentially aggressive and nervous creatures. They are solitary and nocturnal. During the day they bask in the sun or rest on tree branches. At night they descend to the forest floor to hunt.
In common with other colubrids, mangrove snakes have a Duvernoy's gland on the posterior end of the eye with a duct that connects to the rear fangs. The snake needs to chew in order to release the venom, which is released gradually. The venom of the mangrove cat snake is weak, the fangs in the rear are not large, and it is difficult for the snake to open its mouth wide enough to sink the fangs into a human leg or arm; as of 2016, there are no confirmed fatalities. Denmotoxin is a three-finger toxin that has been identified in the venom of mangrove cat snakes, and is the first fully characterized bird-specific toxin.
Although envenomation of humans is mild, visually, because of the alternation of black and yellow crossbands and triangular body cross section, the mangrove cat snake can be confused with the banded krait, which is extremely venomous.
Mangrove snakes are carnivores and feed on reptiles, birds, and small mammals.
Female Mangrove snakes lay up to 15 eggs in tree hollows. The incubation period usually lasts 3 to 4 months. Baby snakes measure 20-35 cm and are fully developed at birth.
There are no known threats facing Mangrove snakes at present.
Like all snakes, Mangrove snakes play a very important ecological role in their environment. They help control populations of small mammals, birds and reptiles they prey on.
