The seldom seen Hispaniolan cat-eyed snake

Although it is quietly hued, the little Hispaniolan cat-eyed snake, Hypsirhynchus ferox, is both attractive and interesting.

Inhabiting a wide range of habitats from xeric to mesic, this terrestrial snake seems to prefer areas where low escarpments and boulders are prominent. Preferentially a lizard eater, juvenile snakes eat geckos, anoles and the young of larger lizards. Adults feed upon larger whiptails and curlytailed lizards.

This snake occasionally attains a length of 30 inches (rarely an inch or two longer, often a few inches shorter). It is slender and can move quickly.

The Hispaniolan cat-eyed snake is only rarely available in the American pet trade. It is an easily maintained oviparous snake, but I have not been able to find mention of breeding success.

Author, photographer, and columnist Richard Bartlett is one of the most prolific writers on herpetological subjects in the 20th century. With hundreds of books and articles to their credit, Richard and his wife Pat have spent over four decades documenting reptiles both in the field and in captivity. For a list of their current titles, please visit their page in our bookstore.