Description

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Context:

An official shared that a common cat snake was found near the Kotaraha guest house in 2022 in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve.

Details:

Common Name	Common Cat Snake or Indian gamma snake
Scientific Name	*Boiga trigonata*
Distribution	Found across India except in northeast states after Sikkim; absent from Indian islands
Habitat	Present in almost all types of forests and across a wide range of elevations
Venom	Venomous but not highly dangerous to humans; venom mainly used to subdue prey
Physical Features	Medium-sized snake 70 to 100 cm long Slender body with a thin tail Grey brown upper body with cream irregular markings outlined in black Yellow-white or yellow-brown underside
Head Shape	Large and triangular-shaped, distinctly broader than the neck
Unique Markings	"Gamma" or "Y"-shaped marking on the head for easy identification
Lifespan	12 to 20 years
Diet	Primarily consists of small vertebrates (geckos but also small birds and frogs)
IUCN Red List Status	Least Concern

Other Cat Snakes

About 15 species of Boiga are found in India, most are found in the Himalayas & NE India. 8 are found in peninsular India, and 4 are mentioned below.

Forsten's Cat Snake (Boiga forsteni): Found in most forests in India, but uncommon. Much larger and exhibits a wide range of colors. Usually has a patternless head and lighter crossbars across.
Yellow-green Cat Snake (Boiga flaviviridis): Found in Eastern Ghats & parts of dry peninsular India. Species found in 2013, earlier mistaken to be a variant of Beddome's Cat Snake.
Travancore Cat Snake (Boiga dightoni): Endemic to southern Western Ghats and very rare. Reddish-brown body with salmon-red blotches.
Indian Egg-Eater (Boiga westermanni): Found in dry scrubs of Central-Northern India. Specialized Egg eater. Reddish head with black blotches & yellow line along back. Refined to belong to the monotypic genus Elachistodon.

REFERENCE- https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/1331756

Source:

NEWS18

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following Snake Species:

Forsten's Cat Snake
Travancore Cat Snake
Egg-Eater
Boa constrictor

How many of the above-given Boiga species are found in India?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) All four

Answer: c

Explanation:

Species found in India are as follows:

Forsten's Cat Snake (Boiga forsteni): Found in most forests in India, but uncommon. Much larger and exhibits a wide range of colors. Usually has a patternless head and lighter crossbars across.

Yellow-green Cat Snake (Boiga flaviviridis): Found in Eastern Ghats & parts of dry peninsular India. Species found in 2013, earlier mistaken to be a variant of Beddome's Cat Snake.

Travancore Cat Snake (Boiga dightoni): Endemic to southern Western Ghats and very rare. Reddish-brown body with salmon-red blotches.

Indian Egg-Eater (Boiga westermanni): Found in dry scrubs of Central-Northern India. Specialized Egg eater. Reddish head with black blotches & yellow line along back. Refined to belong to the monotypic genus Elachistodon.