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.

Geographic range

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

The preferred natural habitat of Leptodeira frenata is forest, at altitudes of.

Leptodeira frenata is terrestrial and partly arboreal.

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

The following three subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.

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

The subspecific name, malleisi, is in honor of ornithologist Harry Malleis.