Sri Lanka Cat Snake

The Sri Lanka cat snake is a rear-fanged, mildly venomous, nocturnal, tree-dwelling colubrid endemic to Sri Lanka. It is a thin, elongate, slim snake about 4 feet (roughly 1.2 m) long with a tail of about 10 inches. The colour is brown or greyish above with a series of blackish cross bands, a blackish blotch or streaks on the nape, and a thick streak from the eye to the angle of the mouth. The underside is yellowish, dotted with brown (Wikipedia, general species account).

It was once believed to occur in the Western Ghats of India, but recent studies showed this to be wrong. The snake frequently ventures into houses in search of prey such as geckos, has a somewhat aggressive disposition, and boldly strikes when disturbed or cornered. Its Sinhala name is nidi mapila. Nationally Least Concern (Sri Lanka National Red List 2012).