Leptodeira septentrionalis
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Leptodeira septentrionalis, the northern cat-eyed snake, is a species of medium-sized, slightly venomous snake, found from southern Texas to Costa Rica. The northern cat eye is medium size (up to 1 m [3.3 ft]). In general females are slightly longer than males. They have smooth scales, with a dark brown line or spot beside the eye and dark brown blotches (which can fuse to form a zigzag) running down their backs. These spots may vary in pattern geographically. Its head is distinctly wider than its neck and it has large bulging eyes with reddish irises and light brown elliptical pupils.
The northern cat eye is primarily arboreal and entirely nocturnal. At night, it hunts for frogs and their eggs and tadpoles; it is particularly known for feeding on those of the red-eyed tree frog. It swallows eggs, tadpoles, and small frogs alive but kills larger frogs with mild venom from its enlarged, grooved rear fangs. It will also consume lizards, toads, salamanders, small fish, and mice. When threatened it is able to flatten its head and spread its jaws although it rarely bites people.
The Northern cat eye is oviparous and produces... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pico Bonito National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yumka' | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Gladys Porter Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Zoológico Miguél Álvarez del Toro | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Cat-eyed Snake sighting in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park on a given day, based on 57 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 43 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May–June, September–October and December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Cat-eyed Snake in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January and February, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Cat-eyed Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Northern Cat-eyed Snake sightings, Cumbres de Monterrey National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Pico Bonito National Park (Honduras, about 40%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Northern Cat-eyed Snake that you can see in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Baird's Ratsnake (about 10%), Great Plains Ratsnake (about 10%) and Speckled Racer (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Cat-eyed Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (57 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
