Boiga

Boiga is a large genus of rear-fanged, mildly venomous snakes, known commonly as cat-eyed snakes or simply cat snakes, in the family Colubridae. Species of the genus Boiga are native to southeast Asia, India, and Australia, but due to their extremely hardy nature and adaptability, have spread to many other suitable habitats around the world. There are 38 recognized species in the genus. According to the study done by Jiří Smíd regarding Old World cat snakes, the ancestor of the cat snake originated in Africa, from where it diversified and expanded to other countries. Despite this diversity however, the different species have very similar needs in terms of temperature and precipitation.

==Species and subspecies== thumb|right|250px|Mangrove snake at the United States National Zoological Park. The following species and subspecies are recognized as being valid. Boiga andamanensis – Andaman cat snake Boiga angulata – Leyte cat snake – Philippines Boiga barnesii – Barnes' cat snake – Sri Lanka Boiga beddomei – Beddome's cat snake – Western Ghat mountains and Sri Lanka Boiga bengkuluensis – Boiga bourreti – Bourret's cat snake – central Vietnam Boiga ceylonensis – Sri Lanka cat snake Boiga cyanea – green cat snake – Mainland Southeast Asia to eastern India Boiga cynodon – dog-toothed cat snake – Sundaland and Philippines Boiga dendrophila – gold-ringed cat snake, mangrove snake Boiga dendrophila annectens Boiga dendrophila dendrophila Boiga dendrophila divergens Boiga dendrophila gemmicincta Boiga dendrophila latifasciata Boiga dendrophila levitoni Boiga dendrophila multicincta Boiga dendrophila occidentalis Boiga dightoni – Pirmad cat snake – India (Western Ghats) Boiga dightoni whitakeri – Whitaker's cat snake Boiga drapiezii – white-spotted cat snake Boiga flaviviridis - yellow-green cat snake - eastern peninsular India Boiga forsteni – Forsten's cat snake – Indian subcontinent Boiga gocool – arrowback tree snake – Bengal, Assam Boiga guangxiensis – southern China, Laos, Vietnam Boiga hoeseli - Lesser Sundas cat snake Boiga irregularis – brown tree snake Boiga jaspidea – jasper cat snake - Sumatra, Java, Malay peninsula, Borneo Boiga kraepelini – Kelung cat snake – China, Taiwan, Hainan, Vietnam Boiga melanota Boiga multifasciata – many-banded cat snake Boiga multomaculata – many-spotted cat snake – Himalayan foothills (Himachal Pradesh to Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan) Boiga nigriceps – black-headed cat snake – Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, Borneo Boiga nuchalis – collared cat snake – southwestern India (Western and Eastern Ghats) Boiga ochracea – tawny cat snake Boiga philippina – Philippine cat snake Boiga quincunciata – Assam, Burma Boiga ranawanei – Ranawana's cat snake – Sri Lanka Boiga saengsomi – banded cat snake Boiga schultzei – Schultze's blunt-headed tree snake Boiga siamensis – gray cat snake Boiga tanahjampeana Boiga thackerayi – Thackeray's cat snake – Western Ghats Boiga trigonata – Indian gamma snake Boiga trigonata trigonata Boiga trigonata melanocephala Boiga wallachi – Nicobar cat snake Boiga westermanni – Indian egg-eating snake