Common Cat Snake
Boiga irregularis • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Boiga, Species: Boiga irregularis
Native to coastal regions of eastern and northern Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and numerous islands in Melanesia. Famously introduced to Guam, where it became an invasive species.
Look up Common Cat Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Boiga, Species: Boiga irregularis
Conservation
IUCN Red List status: Least Concern. The species is widespread and highly adaptable, though invasive populations are subject to management and control programs.
Physical Description
Slender body with a distinct, broad head and large eyes featuring vertical pupils. Coloration ranges from yellowish-brown to reddish-brown or grey, marked with darker irregular bands, saddles, or spots along the back. The head often shows indistinct dark stripes.
Size & Dimensions
Specimen shown is likely a juvenile or subadult around 40-60 cm in length. Adults typically range from 1 to 2 meters, with larger specimens occasionally exceeding 2.3 meters.
Habitat
Found in a wide variety of arboreal and terrestrial habitats including rainforests, wet and dry sclerophyll forests, open woodlands, agricultural areas, and suburban gardens. Primarily nocturnal and arboreal, sheltering during the day in tree hollows, under loose bark, or in rock crevices.
Diet & Feeding
Primarily nocturnal predator feeding on a wide variety of vertebrates including lizards, small mammals, birds, bird eggs, and bats. Employs a combination of active foraging and ambush tactics.
Reproduction
Oviparous species, females typically deposit clutches of 3 to 12 elongated eggs in concealed locations such as tree hollows, rotting logs, or beneath leaf litter.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status: Least Concern. The species is widespread and highly adaptable, though invasive populations are subject to management and control programs.
Cultural Significance
Known globally as a prime example of a highly destructive invasive species following its accidental introduction to Guam after World War II, which caused the dramatic collapse of native bird populations.
Notable Features
Possesses binocular vision and binocular cues aiding in depth perception, which is an exceptional adaptation for an arboreal predator navigating complex canopy branches at night.