Boiga nigriceps
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Boiga nigriceps (black-headed cat snake) is a species of colubrid snake from South-East Asia. They are large snakes; adults may attain a total length of 1.75 m (5+1⁄2 ft). It gets its name from the greenish to blackish coloration of its head. Neonates and juveniles do not exhibit this dark color on the head until adulthood. The body color ranges greatly from brown, orange, red, and even black. The ventral region of the snake is yellowish below the neck and white for the rest.
Two subspecies are recognized: Boiga nigriceps nigriceps (Günther, 1863) Boiga nigriceps brevicauda Smith, 1926 Indonesia, Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand. The black-headed cat snake is arboreal, but frequently comes down to the ground in search of prey. They occupy lowland and mid-elevation tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia.
Little is known about the black-headed cat snake's venom toxicity on humans, but it is thought to be comparable to the severity of a copperhead. This rear fanged colubrid's bite rarely results in adverse effects due to its poor venom delivery system. Luckily their fangs' positioning doesn't result... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Siam Serpentarium | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Snake Farm of Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-headed Cat Snake sighting in Gunung Leuser National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 33rd most-seen of the 47 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.
February–May, July and September
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black-headed Cat Snake in Gunung Leuser National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June, August and October–January, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-headed Cat Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Black-headed Cat Snake sightings, Gunung Leuser National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Kinabalu Park (Malaysia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-headed Cat Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Gunung Leuser National Park (7 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.
