Leptodeira frenata

Leptodeira frenata, also known commonly as the Mayan cat-eyed snake and the rainforest cat-eyed snake, is a species of mildly venomous snake in the subfamily Dipsadinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, and there are three recognized subspecies.^[2]

Leptodeira frenata
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Leptodeira
Species:	L. frenata
Binomial name
Leptodeira frenata (Cope, 1886)
Synonyms[2]
Sibon frenatum Cope, 1886

Geographic range

Leptodeira frenata is found on the Atlantic slope from neotropical Mexico southward through Belize to northern Guatemala.^[1]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of Leptodeira frenata is forest,^[1] at altitudes of 150–450 m (490–1,480 ft).^[2]

Behavior

Leptodeira frenata is terrestrial and partly arboreal.^[1][2]

Venom

Leptodeira frenata is venomous. Bites to humans may cause intense pain, swelling, and bloody blisters.^[2]

Subspecies

The following three subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.^[2]

• Leptodeira frenata frenata (Cope, 1886)
• Leptodeira frenata malleisi Dunn & Stuart, 1935
• Leptodeira frenata yucatanensis (Cope, 1887)

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Leptodeira.

Etymology

The subspecific name, malleisi, is in honor of ornithologist Harry Malleis (died 1931).^[3]: 166