Flickering Beauty in Grass !!
There are different types of cat snakes – the Indian Gamma and the Ceylon cat snake.
The Indian Gamma (Boiga trigonata), which is also known as cat snake. It is a small snake. Its eyes are large with mustard yellow iris and vertical pupil. It is usually yellowish brown, sandy or fawn and is spotted with darker shades. Its belly is white and on its lateral side there are brown spots.
The Cat Snake is a nocturnal snake usually encountered on the move at night. Indian Gamma coils itself in bushes into a little heap and does not stretch out its body as other snakes do. It is very common in evergreen and deciduous forests. It is an excellent climber and can jump from heights to the ground. If it is caught by the tail, it climbs up its own body and bites. When caught by the neck, it ejects an evil smelling stream of yellow and white secretion from its anal gland. This snake has fangs in the back of the mouth. The secretion that comes from its parotid gland is toxic and fatal to lizards and highly toxic to mice. It’s a very brave snake and acts very offensively on the least provocation. Its striking posture is characteristic. The head and fore-body are erected well off the ground and the latter thrown into a figure of eight loop, the head being poised in the middle. Prior to striking, the erected part is swayed forwards and backwards the whole body inflated and deflated and the tail vibrates briskly.
This Snake feeds on almost anything it can capture but has a strong liking for lizards, in particular the garden lizards. It kills small birds, mammals and lizards by constriction.
Author’s Website CAPT SURESH SHARMA