Singapore’s wildlife diversity is nothing to scoff at. Aside from the occasional otter and owl sightings, we also see massive pythons slithering around in our estates every now and then.
On Thursday (20 May), a local photographer spotted a rare and critically endangered Jasper Cat Snake on his hike.
The sighting makes it the 6th ever sighting of the snake, making it the second rarest cat snake species in Singapore.
Recounting the encounter, the photographer said he was about to conclude his night walk when he and his companion chance upon the elusive snake.
Due to its rarity, the photographer was understandably hesitant on disclosing the snake’s location.
Turns out, this is apparently the 6th time a Jasper Cat Snake had ever been seen on our island, making it one of the rarest cat snake species in Singapore.
The Jasper Cat Snake, or Boiga Jaspidea, is native to Singapore and belongs to the Colubridae family.
Its highly patterned grey-brown body colouration and black spots along its body make it highly identifiable.
Its relatively large head is also covered in black spots with orange and red highlights.
Belly scales that are typically yellow in colour can also be found under the neck.
Very little is known about the species due to its rarity, but they are reportedly mildly venomous and rear-fanged
They are also an arboreal species that feeds on small rodents and lay eggs in other arboreal termite nests.
Additionally, they have the largest eye-to-head ratio among the Boiga species, making them appear “derpy”.
With only 6 sightings of the snake in the past 5 years, this sighting is truly something to behold.
Kudos to the photographer for spotting the rare snake and providing more insight on such a beautiful creature. Who knew such wildlife lived amongst us on our small island.
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Featured image adapted from @isaacsimmy on Instagram.
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