Fun Mangrove Snake Facts For Kids

The Mangrove snake, or scientifically known as Boiga dendrophila, is a subspecies or sometimes known as gold-ringed cat snake. These are rear fanged snakes species belonging from the family Colubridae. Most commonly these snakes are found in southeast Asia. The venom of these snakes is considered very mild. There have been no casualties or any kind of fatality reported after the bite of these animals. Mangrove snakes are nocturnal in nature which means they only come out at night for any kind of hunt or prey and are potentially aggressive in nature.

The species of snake can be found in different parts of southeast Asia such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. This subspecies of snake might be slightly venomous. Though the information about these snakes is limited, we've compiled the best and most interesting facts about the species. If you find this article fascinating, check out our other animal fact files on Western diamondback rattlesnake and the worm snake.

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What type of animal is a mangrove snake?

Boiga dendrophila, commonly known as mangrove snakes, are one of the less venomous species of snake present in the world.

What class of animal does a mangrove snake belong to?

As most other snake species, the mangrove snake also comes under the classification of Reptilia.

How many mangrove snakes are there in the world?

There is no exact information regarding the total world population of the mangrove water snake.

Where does a mangrove snake live?

These black and yellow mangrove snake species can be found in different parts of South Asian forests such in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. They usually live in areas which are full of mangrove forests and lowland rainforests, usually near water.  These are some of the coastal habitat places where you can find them very easily and mostly comprise of their habitat.

What is a mangrove snake's habitat?

Their habitat mainly comprises of a biome with a coastal environment, terrestrial forests and mangrove plants. The best suitable climate zone for these animals is a tropical one.

Who do mangrove snakes live with?

There is no such information on the internet about the living behavior of mangrove snakes, though research founds that these snakes are solitary in nature that is they prefer to live in group or live with one of the same kinds.  There are certain kind of names for the group in which they usually live for example den, nest, pit, bed, knot.

How long does a mangrove snake live?

Mangrove snake (Boiga dendrophila) care is crucial in their lifespan and plays a major role. If done properly, the mangrove snake can live up to 10-12 years long. It is one of the longest living mild venomous snakes amongst the species of snake.  

How do they reproduce?

Like others in this species, these snakes are oviparous in nature, which means that this genus also lays eggs. There is a 12 week incubation period in this species which can be said to be one of the longest one among all other species. The average number of eggs is around 4-15 in a clutch. The size of the hatched baby snakes is around 35-43 cm and resemble adult snakes in both coloration and pattern.  

What is their conservation status?

No information is available with regards to the conservation status of the mangrove snake.

What do mangrove snakes look like?

These Boiga dendrophila snakes can be said to be pretty attractive, they are black in color on top, with yellow transverse bands, and these bands are mostly continuous, extending across the back. You should also know that these rear fanged color bird snakes have an interesting eye structure which allows and helps them to see better at night when active and on the hunt.

How cute are they?

Snake's can't really be said as cute, as most people are scared of snakes and when you are scared of a creature it makes them less attractive and cute.

How do they communicate?

Though they don't have many specific ways of communicating, we can predict a lot from their behavioral patterns. These snakes can be potentially aggressive in nature and sometimes the captured specimens can be nervous, so may strike. If you are handling them, you have to be very cautious as they might bite you, causing you some amount of pain and injury.

How big is a mangrove snake?

As compared to other mild venomous snakes from their genus these subspecies are said to be average when we talk about its size.

How fast can a mangrove snake move?

If we are talking about catching prey, then these Boiga dendrophila snakes can move pretty fast on branches as they mostly live on top of the branches. There is no specific speed recorded.

How much does a mangrove snake weigh?

No information is provided about the weight of the mangrove snake.

What are their male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names given to the male and female of this species.

What would you call a baby mangrove snake?

We can call baby mangrove snakes as Boiga dendrophila as it is their scientific name, other than that there is no specific name for the young.

What do they eat?

The eating habit and diet of these snakes isn't that complicated, instead their prey is very easily available and one bite can kill their prey. The animals which they usually prefer to consume are other reptiles, plus birds, and small mammals.

Are they aggressive?

Yes, they can be said to be aggressive but not that aggressive. It usually depends on the situation, if they feel any kind of threat, then they become aggressive. The mangrove snake bite and mangrove snake venom is not likely to harm humans.  

Would they make a good pet?

These snakes are permitted as pets in the state of California, although they probably aren't the best pet to own unless you are experienced with snakes.

Did you know...

Mangrove snakes play a very significant role in environment, by eating different kind of small animals which possibly cause damage to the environment. They are named mangrove because they stay mostly with the mangrove bands, which are very wide in Indonesia and Philippines as they all are coastal areas. During the day time they can be seen basking under the as they are totally nocturnal animals. Mangrove snake venom effects may include itchy skin and soreness, but no major symptoms.

What other snake are mangrove snakes often confused with?

They can be confused with the deadly, venomous banded krait and sometimes they are also confused with the mangrove cat snake.  

How does a mangrove snake's venom change over time?

The longer the bite, the more toxic it will be, the venom will increase with time, making it more toxic.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other reptiles including vine snake, or smooth green snake.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Mangrove snake coloring pages.

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