A Gamma Cat Snake has something to say

Well hello my friend… you’re probably wondering what I’m doing up here, perched on a comfy branch. Well I wass minding my own busssiness as you walked over here, making more noissse than a herd of sstampeding deer. You humanss never notice me until you are already very closse. I’m very good at sstaying perfectly still… it’s part of my camouflage sstrategy... along with my yellowish olive body, white and black bandss, and this neat little Y mark on my head. You might have also notissced my eye. Big, round, vertical pupilss. Eyess like a cat. That iss how I get my name. Helpss me see you in the dark; not that I would chase you or anything. I am a night wanderer. When the ssun is blazing in the daytime, I tuck myself into crevicess, palm frondss, thatch roofss or cosy sspotss under sstones. Then, when night comess, I wake up, sstretch a bit and sstart my patrol. You look curiouss, so let me clear up the number one thing humanss alwayss worry about. Yess, I have venom. But it’s mild. Also, rear fanged. It iss meant for my prey, not for you. Mosst of you are far too big and troublessome to bother with anyway. I prefer quiet dinnerss. Little lizardss, small birdss, maybe a rodent or two. I sslide down or move through the branchess, sslow and calm, then quick ass a whisper… I ssnatch my meal. If you leave me be, I’ll leave you be. Fair trade, yess?

Humanss think I only live in wild foresstss, but no. I am everywhere. Foresst edge, garden, ssavannah, even rural houssess. I adapt well. Ssometimes too well. And that can be a problem. My patternss ssometimes look like that of a dangerouss viper. Sso a few people panic when they see me. But I am not the viper. I am not looking for trouble. I am looking for my dinner and a quiet branch, that iss all. By the way, we are valuable neighbourss. If you find me near your home, I am probably hunting rodentss or pessky geckoss. I help keep thingss in balance. Sso before leaping to conclusionss, jusst remember. I may look a bit dramatic, but I am harmlesss to mosst humanss. Give me a metre or two of perssonal sspace and everything iss golden. A final ssurprise for you. I am an egg layer. Tiny clutchess, a handful of eggss tucked away somewhere ssafe. No parental care, mind you. We hatch, we yawn, we sstretch and we get on with life. Independenssce from day one! So the next time you are on a night walk, keep your eyess open. Every branch hass a story. Every shadow hass a whisper.

As night falls over Yala National Park, the torchlight reveals a hidden world of glowing fungi, darting insects and gentle nocturnal activity. Guided night walks at Mahoora Tented Safari Camps give guests the chance to experience this enchanting side of the forest. Among the highlights is the Gamma Cat Snake, sometimes seen resting gracefully on branches, its camouflage blending perfectly with the bark. Guided night walks led by the naturalist team offer a rare glimpse into this world, where the wilderness feels both mysterious and alive.