The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™

   ISSN 2307-8235 (online)

   IUCN 2008: T172682A1366220

Boiga wallachi, Nicobar Cat Snake

Assessment by: Srinivasulu, C., Das, A. & Mohapatra, P.

View on www.iucnredlist.org

Citation: Srinivasulu, C., Das, A. & Mohapatra, P. 2013. Boiga wallachi. The IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species 2013: e.T172682A1366220. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-
2.RLTS.T172682A1366220.en

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Taxonomy
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family

Animalia Chordata Reptilia Squamata Colubridae

Taxon Name:  Boiga wallachi Das, 1998

Synonym(s):
• Boiga dendrophila

Common Name(s):
• English: Nicobar Cat Snake
Taxonomic Notes:
Boiga wallachi was described by Das in 1998 based on specimens collected from Nicobar Island,
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India (Das 1998).

Assessment Information
Red List Category & Criteria: Data Deficient ver 3.1

Year Published: 2013

Date Assessed: February 1, 2011

Justification:
Boiga wallachi is listed as Data Deficient on the basis that, while it is confined to two islands with a
combined area below 1,500 km2 and is likely to have suffered recent declines in habitat extent and
quality following the 2004 tsunami, there is insufficient information on ongoing threats or the species'
population status to determine whether it warrants listing in a threatened category. As a restricted-
range island species with apparently specific ecological requirements, it may be especially vulnerable to
rare stochastic events and this sensitivity may be exacerbated by human activities that further restrict
the availability of suitable forest habitat, however at present it is not clear whether these events could
plausibly lead to the extinction of this snake.

Geographic Range
Range Description:
This snake is endemic to the Nicobar Islands (India), where it has been recorded from both Little and
Great Nicobar. Following declines in the area of potentially suitable habitat resulting from the 2004
Boxing Day tsunami, surveys are needed to understand the current distribution of this snake on the
islands.

Country Occurrence:
Native: India (Nicobar Is.)

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Boiga wallachi – published in 2013. 1
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T172682A1366220.en
Population
The population currently seems to be stable. The species may however have been subject to a
population decline in the recent past, as 20% of Little Nicobar and 40% of Great Nicobar were
submerged for several months following the 2004 tsunami, and natural habitats in affected areas have
yet to recover.
Current Population Trend:  Stable

Habitat and Ecology (see Appendix for additional information)

This nocturnal species is found in undisturbed tropical moist forests, and snakes have been seen on the
forest floor near freshwater bodies. It has been reported from human dwellings to raid chicken coups for
eggs (Das 1998, Whitaker and Captain 2004). It is however thought to be essentially a forest-dwelling
snake that enters anthropogenic areas only to feed, and it may not be able to persist in modified
habitats. None have been found on trees or bushes. It feeds on frogs and other small animals, as well as
on eggs. Nothing else is known about its biology.

Systems:  Terrestrial

Use and Trade

The species is not in use.

Threats
This species is endemic to the two most heavily-populated islands in the Nicobar group, and reports of
animals entering anthropogenic habitats to forage may be a symptom of declines in natural habitat
quality and increased exposure to human disturbance. While the species is found within the Great
Nicobar Biosphere Reserve, this is not a strict protected area and may not afford protection to this
snake's forest habitat. There is however no information on specific threats. Habitat loss due to natural
stochastic events, such as large tsunami, may destroy large areas of remaining natural habitat and
increase human pressures on the remainder.

Conservation Actions (see Appendix for additional information)

There are no known species-specific conservation measures in place for this species. Boiga wallachi is
an endemic Indian snake occurring in tropical moist forest of the Nicobar Islands that is the part of Great
Nicobar Biosphere Reserve. The present distribution and population status along with its ecological
tolerances need to documented in detail.

Credits
Assessor(s): Srinivasulu, C., Das, A. & Mohapatra, P.

Reviewer(s): Achyuthan, N.S., Kulkarni, N.U., Sawant, N.S., Mohapatra, P., Thakur, S., Das, A.,
Shankar, G., Jose, J., Vyas, R., Aengals, A. & Deepak, V.

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Boiga wallachi – published in 2013. 2
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T172682A1366220.en
Bibliography
Das, I. 1998. A new species of Boiga (Serpentes: Colubridae) from the Nicobar Archipelago. Journal of
South Asian natural History 3(1): 59.

IUCN. 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2013.2). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org.
(Accessed: 13 November 2013).

Whitaker, R. and Captain, A. 2004. Snakes of India. The Field Guide. Draco Books, India.

Citation
Srinivasulu, C., Das, A. & Mohapatra, P. 2013. Boiga wallachi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
2013: e.T172682A1366220. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T172682A1366220.en

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External Resources
For Images and External Links to Additional Information, please see the Red List website.

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Boiga wallachi – published in 2013. 3
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T172682A1366220.en
 Appendix

Habitats
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)

Major
Habitat Season Suitability
Importance?

1. Forest -> 1.6. Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland Resident Suitable Yes

14. Artificial/Terrestrial -> 14.4. Artificial/Terrestrial - Rural Gardens Non- Suitable -

breeding

Conservation Actions in Place

(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)

Conservation Actions in Place

In-Place Land/Water Protection and Management

Occur in at least one PA: Yes

Percentage of population protected by PAs (0-100): 100

Research Needed
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)

Research Needed
1. Research -> 1.2. Population size, distribution & trends

1. Research -> 1.3. Life history & ecology

1. Research -> 1.5. Threats

Additional Data Fields

Distribution
Estimated area of occupancy (AOO) (km²): 800

Continuing decline in area of occupancy (AOO): Custom (.1)

Extreme fluctuations in area of occupancy (AOO): Custom (.1)

Estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) (km²): 1202

Continuing decline in extent of occurrence (EOO): Custom (.20)

Extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence (EOO): Custom (.2)

Number of Locations: 2

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Boiga wallachi – published in 2013. 4
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T172682A1366220.en
 Distribution
Lower elevation limit (m): 300

Upper elevation limit (m): 400

Population
Population severely fragmented: No

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Boiga wallachi – published in 2013. 5
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T172682A1366220.en
The IUCN Red List Partnership

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is produced and managed by the IUCN Global Species
Programme, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and The IUCN Red List Partnership. The IUCN
Red List Partners are: BirdLife International; Botanic Gardens Conservation International; Conservation
International; Microsoft; NatureServe; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Sapienza University of Rome; Texas
A&M University; Wildscreen; and Zoological Society of London.

THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™