Fun Cat-eyed Snake Facts For Kids

We've all heard of snakes and cats. But have you ever heard of the cat-eyed snake?

The cat-eyed snakes are unique animals belonging to South America. These snakes are usually fond of moist and damp areas and will be frequently seen lounging near marshes and other water bodies because most of their food comes from.

In terms of diet, they prefer to eat small amphibians and reptiles, like frogs, insects, and other animals like the salamander and lizards. These animals are plentiful in South America and form a major part of the food chain of this reptile.

They are solitary creatures, which means that they will rarely be seen as a part of a group, except for mating. In addition to these, they are also known for their distinct lack of parental instinct, which means that these species' children have to fend for themselves.

You can read all about their family, genus, species, and other exciting bits of information about this unique reptile right here! In addition, we have articles on other fun creatures to read and know about, such as the rainbow snake and water snake, so do not forget to check them out too!

Cat-Eyed Snake Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a cat-eyed snake?

A cat-eyed snake (Leptodeira) is a type of snake.

What class of animal does a cat-eyed snake belong to?

The banded cat-eyed snake belongs to a class of reptiles.

How many cat-eyed snakes are there in the world?

The banded cat-eyed snake (Leptodeira annulata) is a nocturnal snake species (group: colubrid) unique to the New World. Banded cat-eyed snakes come in two subspecies, both of which are abundant and ubiquitous in the wild. So it would be difficult to estimate the exact population of these snake species in the world.

Where does a cat-eyed snake live?

The cat-eyed snake, Leptodeira (behavior: nocturnal) lives in the woods. However, the banded cat-eyed snake is equally at home in the trees (arboreal creature) on the ground (terrestrial species). Central America, Mexico, and South America, and the outlying islands of Trinidad and Tobago and Margarita, are this species' geographic range.

South and North America are home to Leptodeira septentrionalis species. The southernmost portion of Texas marks the northern range limit of this species.

What is a cat-eyed snake's habitat?

It prefers damp environments. The snake prefers habitat in the woods (both wet and dry) and at the forest boundary (with proper vegetated urbanized regions near the forest margin). Riparian zones, as well as the edges of marshes and swamps, are frequently connected with them.

Who does the cat-eyed snake live with?

Banded cat-eyed snakes species (genus: Leptodeira) are solitary. The solitary species stinking goddess is another frequent name for the king rat snake. The Elaphe carinata is known as the king rat snake because of its habit of devouring other snakes, including deadly ones like cobras and vipers.

How long does a cat-eyed snake live?

The banded cat-eyed snake life span is about 12-15 years. Northern cat-eyed snakes (Leptodeira septentrionalis) species are most active at night (nocturnal). Unfortunately, this is also when they hunt the most, which is why they are most active during night time when their prey is unsuspecting, and they have the benefit of night vision.

How do they reproduce?

These are oviparous snakes of the genus Leptodeira. Females deposit 3-12 eggs per season. Very little is documented about these mildly venomous snakes' reproduction activity. Banded cat-eyed snakes are not demonstrative of parental care. From the time they are born, babies must care for themselves.

Banded cat-eyed snakes species have the ability to postpone egg fertilization. That implies that females can retain sperm in their bodies for a long time (a few years) and use it to fertilize eggs when there are no males around.

The reproduction of Leptodeira septentrionalis species of North America has received little attention. Females deposit 6-12 eggs per clutch, with a gestation period of 79-90 days.

What is their conservation status?

Since banded cat-eyed snakes are abundant and ubiquitous in the wild, they are not even on the endangered species list. However, in the state of Texas, Leptodeira septentrionalis is designated endangered.

Cat-Eyed Snake Fun Facts

What does a cat-eyed snake look like?

Adults have a body length of around 30 in (76.2 cm) with a vertically compacted body—the large, triangular head of the banded cat-eyed snake. The huge eyes have vertically elliptical pupils, and the head is distinguishable from the slender and narrow neck.

The back is brown or yellowish, with a succession of blackish or dark brown patches typically merges into a zigzag pattern.

How cute are they?

Snakes are not considered cute by the majority of humans. However, as unusual companions, these snakes are in high demand all around the world.

As a result, some individuals think they're cute and want to keep them as pets. However, you should ideally avoid keeping this species (or reptiles in general) as pets since they can be dangerous (especially in urban homes).

How do they communicate?

Only during the breeding season can Leptodeira snakes interact. They're noted for hissing noises. They are usually solitary animals and do not usually communicate with others of the same species unless it is absolutely required.

How big is a cat-eyed snake?

The average length of the banded cat-eyed snakes is about 30 in (76.2 cm) in their natural environment. The cat snake species length measures between 19-27.6 in (48.2-70.1 cm). The size of the banded snake is larger than the cat snake.

How fast can a cat-eyed snake move?

This snake species with a compacted body has a top speed of approximately 12 mph (19.3 kph). Therefore, since they can move relatively fast, humans should ideally avoid them.

How much does a cat-eyed snake weigh?

The weight range of these snakes with slender bodies is around 1 oz (28.3 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male and female species of these snakes having nocturnal behavior don't have any particular title.

What would you call a baby cat-eyed snake?

There is not any specific name for a baby of this reptile species habitat in damp habitat. However, whenever these babies are born, they start looking after themselves since their parents do not have a parental instinct.

What do they eat?

The nocturnal (active throughout the night) Leptodeira annulata hunts and eats in trees and on the ground. The diet of the banded cat-eyed snake is carnivorous (meat-eater).

It eats small creatures like frogs (and tadpoles), small reptiles like lizards and salamanders, as well as their eggs. It's also possible that it eats young birds in their diet. The banded cat-eyed snake prefers to hunt near the water and in the shrubs for its prey.

It's fascinating to watch brown tree snakes forage. The brown tree snake bites first, then wraps its own body all around the victim to immobilize it. It then begins chewing to inject venom; unlike vertebrates, many mammals are unaffected by this venom.

Are they poisonous?

Since these snakes' fangs are toward the back of their jaws, they must arrange their prey in their jaw before biting it. Cat-eyed snakes' venom has a modest potency and is only strong enough to sedate small prey.

Would they make a good pet?

No, these snakes are not suitable as pets. The banded cat-eyed snake is a poisonous snake with minimal venom. Its venom is specifically intended to kill reptiles and amphibians.

Humans are nearly harmless to the banded cat-eyed snake. The bite is not very severe (similar to a bug bite) and causes minor skin irritation (swelling and itching near the bite). However, even captive-bred snakes are cautious and afraid of human interaction.

Did you know...

The cat snake, frequently referred to as the 'cat-eyed snake,' is one of many snakes within the Boiga genus. Although other genera of cat snakes occur, Boiga is the biggest and most diversified. Their name stems from the vertical pupils, which resemble those of a cat. The venomous banded snakes are a member of the colubrid snake group.

Northern cat-eyed snakes can be mistaken with several other species. Ground snakes with brown bands have smaller heads, a less striking pattern, with round pupils. Southwestern rat snakes, which have dark patches covering the first half of the bodies, are distinguished from Texas night snakes with tiny dorsal spots flanked by a lateral strip of tinier spots.

If the quantity of common garter snakes in the backyard is kept under control, it might be helpful to the owners. They could aid in the control of insects and other bugs that can harm plants.

Possessing too many, on the other hand, can be detrimental. They can't tell the difference between good and bad bugs since they don't have the ability to distinguish between them. As a result, they may cause more harm more than good.

How many eggs do cat-eyed snakes lay?

These snake species are oviparous and occasionally exhibited prolonged fertilization. During reproduction, females produce approximately 3-12 eggs.

What eats a cat-eyed snake?

Well-known natural predators of banded cat-eyed sake are crane hawks, white hawks, collared forest falcons, roadside hawks, great black hawks, and many more.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these sea snake facts and corn snake facts for kids!

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable cat-eyed snake coloring pages.