Leptodeira annulata
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Leptodeira annulata, also known commonly as the banded cat-eyed snake, is a species of mildly venomous, rear-fanged, snake in the subfamily Dipsadinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the New World. Additional common names for L. annulata include: cat-eyed night snake, come sapo, culebra de pantano, culebra destenida, machete savane, mapana de agua, mapana tigre, and ranera.
L. annulata is found in Mexico, Central America, and South America, including the offshore islands of Margarita, and Trinidad and Tobago. Adults of L. annulata have a total length (tail included) of about 750 mm (30 in) and are very slender. The head is distinct from the neck, and the large eyes have vertically elliptic pupils. The back is yellowish or brown with a series of dark brown or blackish spots often confluent into an undulous or zigzag stripe.
L. annulata has a pair of enlarged, grooved teeth at the rear of each upper jaw (maxilla), and produces a mild venom.. The venom affects the snake's natural prey (mainly small frogs and small lizards). The snake tends not to bite humans when handled, but when it does, the venom... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serra dos Órgãos National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 4 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Banded Cat-eyed Snake sighting in Manu National Park on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 26th most-seen of the 56 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
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Banded Cat-eyed Snake in Manu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July, October and December, the lowest months. That is one of Manu National Park's wettest months, with about 290 mm of rain against 60 mm in August.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Banded Cat-eyed Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Banded Cat-eyed Snake sightings, Manu National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Serra dos Órgãos National Park (Brazil, about 20%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Banded Cat-eyed Snake that you can see in Manu National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Blunthead Tree Snake (about 30%), Tschudi's False Coral Snake (about 20%) and Northern Woodland Racer (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Banded Cat-eyed Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Manu National Park (18 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.
