ANIMAL: Mangrove Snake Boiga dendrophila Type of Animal: Colubrid Habitat: Mangrove forest, mangrove swamps, forests, swamps, riverine areas Location(s): SE Asia. Accidentally introduced population in S Texas. Appearance: Black above w/ yellow to sometimes whitish transverse bands, black/yellow face, large eyes w/ narrow vertical slits, broad triangular head, yellow throat, Sulawesi subspecies only has yellow as juvenile & is all black as adult, Philippine subspecies often blue instead of black Food/Diet: Frogs, lizards, other snakes (including each other), young crocodilians, young turtles, fish, eggs, small mammals, birds, large slugs Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in zoos & herpetoculture Lifestyle: Solitary Additional Info: Called: Male Female Young: Snakelet Group: Solitary Weight: Male: 13.2 lbs Female: 13.4 lbs Gestation: 4 months Life Span: 12-17 years Body Length: Male: 6 ft Female: 8 ft Young: 2 ft Tail Length: 7 in, same for both sexes They’re active at night (nocturnal). They’re highly arboreal, spending lots of time in trees but will come to ground to hunt. Largest member of Boiga genus. Also called Mangrove Cat-Eyed Snake, Gold-Ringed Cat Snake, Yellow-Ringed Cat Snake, & Banded Mangrove Snake. Females lay 4-15 eggs, usually in tree hollows. They’re ambush predators. Due to areas in which they live, they’re great swimmers. Fun Fact(s): Often mistaken for deadly Banded Krait due to coloration & sometimes killed for this reason. Banded Kraits have alternate black/yellow crossbands while Mangrove Snakes mostly black w/ yellow transverse bands. Unlike many colubrids, these/other members of genus Boiga mildly to moderately venomous-this species having moderate venom. Fangs located in rear of mouth so many bites produce no venom-however, bites can be quite painful. Venomous bites usually result from chewing due to location of fangs. Venomous bites can cause painful swelling & skin discoloration & often require hospital visits. Due to danger risks/temperament, they don’t make best pets. These snakes kill prey using venom & constriction. These snakes are known to be vicious if provoked. They’ll often curl up in double s-shape before striking. During the day, they’re quite shy.
