Andaman Cat Snake
Boiga andamanensis (Wall, 1909)
First described in: Wall, F. Remarks on some forms of Dipsadomorphus.
Descriptions from checklists and floras indexed by GBIF
description
(Figs. 7 A & B, 12 A) Material studied: Two adults; ANFD uncatalogued, an adult from Mayabunder, Middle Andaman; CIARI uncatalogued, an adult from Sippighat, South Andaman (Fig. 3 G). Morphology: Dorsal scales elongated, slender and smooth, in 21: 21: 15 rows; mid dorsal row distinctly enlarged, hexagonal; ventrals 259 – 262; preventral 1; subcaudals 102 – 124, divided; preocular 1; postoculars 2; anal single; supralabials 8 (3 – 5 entering orbit); infralabials 10 – 11 (1 – 6 contacting genials); temporals 3 + 2, loreal 1. A colour polymorphic species; three distinct colour morphs observed: ashy green, brown and bright red, the former two being frequent as adults and juveniles being reddish. Interior of mouth pink. Distribution: A nocturnal species found throughout the Andaman Archipelago. Seven individuals were recorded from South Andaman, Long Island, Havelock and Middle Andaman Islands. Found in primary evergreen and secondary forests. Rather uncommon in human habitations. Found in low-lying shrubs and bushes. Remarks: B. andamanensis was redescribed recently by Ganesh et al. (2020) as a part of the revision of the B. ceylonensis group. Earlier reports of Boiga ochracea walli fr
Snake fauna of the Andaman Islands, Bay of Bengal-A review of species richness taxonomy, distribution, natural history and conservation status
description
Boiga andamanensis — Smith 1943 Taxonomic history. This species was originally described as Dipsadomorphus andamanensis based on a series of six syntypes, originating from the Andaman Islands, deposited at the Indian Museum, Calcutta, Bengal (now, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata). As in the case of B. beddomei, Wall (1909) described this species whilst revising the B. ceylonensis group. However, this species has not been a subject of taxonomic confusion ever since (but see Deraniyagala, 1955), probably because of its allopatric distribution. Specimens examined. India. Andaman Islands. Syntypes: ZSI 15189 (an adult male), ZSI 7928 – 7930, ZSI 8641, ZSI 15142 (unsexed juveniles) all from the Andamans. Other specimens: Male (n = 1) ANFD unreg. Female (n = 1) CIARI unreg. from Andaman Islands, India.
Taxonomic revision of the Boiga ceylonensis group (Serpentes: Colubridae): reexamination of type specimens, redefinition of nominate taxa and an updated key
description
Redescription of the largest syntype (ZSI 15189). An adult male measuring 1028 mm total length, with an SVL of 795 mm and tail length of 233 mm. Overall habitus slender, mandible slightly damaged on both the sides; a small lateral compression and loss of tissues at midbody. Head large and considerably wider than the thin neck; Scalerows 21: 21: 17; vertebrals relatively enlarged; rostral not visible from above; internasals shorter than preforntals; parietals much broader and longer than other cephalic scales; supraoculars and preoculars elongate; preoculars mildly visible from above; loreal single; much smaller than preoculars and nasals. Nostril in the middle of an elongate nasal; postoculars 2, small; 8 supralabials (3 rd to 5 th entering orbit), the last one largest; 10 – 11 infralabials (the first six in contact with genials); temporals 3 + 2 / 3 + 2 / 3; preventral single; ventrals 268; subcaudals 133 pairs. Colouration in preservative completely faded and bleached, uniform pale creamy white both dorsally and ventrally, without any pattern; body with brownish borders along some scales; eye of a similar colour, pupil barely discernale; tail slightly darker. Variation shown by o
Taxonomic revision of the Boiga ceylonensis group (Serpentes: Colubridae): reexamination of type specimens, redefinition of nominate taxa and an updated key
diagnosis
Diagnosis. A species of Boiga endemic to the Andaman Islands of the Bay of Bengal, India, characterized by: 21 scale rows at midbody (vs. 19 in B. ceylonensis, B. thackerayi, B. barnesii, B. beddomei and B. flaviviridis; up to 23 in B. nuchalis, B. dightoni); reddish / brownish to pale greenish dorsum (vs. yellowish-brown in B. thackerayi; always brownish in B. beddomei, B. ceylonensis, B. dightoni, B. nuchalis and B. barnesii; always greenish in B. flaviviridis); preocular 1 (vs. 3 in B. barnesii); ventral and ventro-lateral region completely lacking pattern (vs. with white and black adjacent blotches in B. barnesii, B. thackerayi; spotted in B. beddomei, B. ceylonensis, B. nuchalis, B. dightoni).
Taxonomic revision of the Boiga ceylonensis group (Serpentes: Colubridae): reexamination of type specimens, redefinition of nominate taxa and an updated key
Where it has been recorded
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
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In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Boiga andamanensis in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
From the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence records (GBIF.org), with Wikipedia and the Source Library. GBIF species 8077737.