Mangrove Cat Snake

Southeast Asia Snakes

Snakes ~ Cat Snakes ~ Mangrove Cat Snake

Mangrove snakes are found much more often in deep rainforest along freshwater streams and rivers, draped on overhanging shrubs and trees, so such a common name is really a misnomer. They are also sometimes called gold-ringed cat snakes. This is a large-bodied Boiga species that's characterised by dark black colouration and banded with thin yellow rings that rarely encircle completely. The labials are yellow with black edges.

Hatchlings are miniature version of the adults, sometimes with red bands that will fade to yellow as they mature. The irises are grey throughout their life spans. In the wild, they hunt birds, lizards and small mammals. These snakes are highly aggressive by nature and moderate envenomations have occured from long bites. Mangrove cat snakes constitute several subspecies that occur widely across Southeast Asia in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Borneo and the Philippines.