| Barnes' cat snake | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Colubrinae |
| Genus: | Boiga |
| Species: | B. barnesii |
| Binomial name | |
| Boiga barnesii (Günther, 1869) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Dipsas barnesii Günther, 1869 |
|
Boiga barnesii is a species of cat snake found in Sri Lanka known as the Barnes' cat snake in English and panduru mapila in Sinhala. It is a member of the snake family Colubridae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka and is distributed in the lowlands and midlands up to ~600m above sea level. 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 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.
Although panduru mapila is only mildly venomous, and bites on humans produce only local symptoms, there is a common misconception in Sri Lanka that all mapilas (cat snakes) are highly venomous and could kill a human with its venom. This misconception may be because the name mapila is used to refer to different species in different parts of the island. Due to differences in local knowledge and nomenclature, the krait species found in Sri Lanka (common krait or thel karawala, Ceylon krait or mudu karawala) are also referred to or misidentified as mapila. Both krait species mentioned (Bungarus caeruleus and Bungarus ceylonicus) are highly venomous.