Beddome's Cat Snake

Beddome's cat snake is a moderately sized, arboreal member of the genus Boiga endemic to the Western Ghats of southern India. It is named after Richard Henry Beddome, a British naturalist notable for his contributions to the herpetology and botany of the Indian subcontinent.

It inhabits humid forest habitats and is considered a regional endemic of conservation interest, with a comparatively restricted range relative to more widespread cat snake species.

As a rear-fanged species, it is mildly venomous, and its bite is not considered dangerous to humans.

• Slender body, typically brown to reddish-brown with darker blotches or crossbands
• Broad head distinct from the neck, with vertically elliptical pupils typical of cat snakes
• Smooth scales
• Pale venter
• Long, tapering tail suited to arboreal movement

Best distinguished from other Western Ghats cat snakes through its restricted regional range and subtle differences in scalation and pattern.

Found in moist evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of the Western Ghats mountain range in southern India, typically at low to mid elevations. It is arboreal, using trees, shrubs, and dense vegetation.

Its distribution is limited to forest tracts within this endemic-rich mountain range.

Nocturnal, becoming active after dark to hunt among vegetation. It likely relies on ambush and stealth typical of the genus, striking prey with mildly venomous rear fangs.

Its diet is thought to include small lizards and other small vertebrates. It is presumed oviparous, though specific reproductive details remain sparsely documented.