Boiga nigriceps
| black-headed cat snake | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Colubrinae |
| Genus: | Boiga |
| Species: | B. nigriceps |
| Binomial name | |
| Boiga nigriceps (Günther, 1863) | |
 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Dipsas nigriceps Günther, 1863 | |
The black-headed cat snake (Boiga nigriceps) gets its name from the greenish to blackish colouration of its head. Neonates and juveniles do not exhibit this dark colour on the head until adulthood. The body colour ranges from brown to orange and red to black. The ventrals are yellowish below the neck and white for the rest. They are large snakes; adults may attain a total length of 1.7 m (5½ feet).[1] They are quite aggressive and hardy in nature.
Distribution
Indonesia, Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand
Habitat
The black-headed cat snake is arboreal, but frequently comes down to the ground in search of prey. They occupy lowland and mid-elevation tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia.
Diet
The black-headed cat snake feeds on lizards, frogs, birds, small mammals and other snakes in the wild.
- ↑ Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Vol. III. London.