THE CAT-EYED SNAKE, Leptodeira sp. aff. ornata, PREYING ON AN INTRODUCED GECKO IN COSTA RICA

Cat-eyed snakes from genus Leptodeira, primarily prey on amphibians, but also consume other prey types. However, lizards have not previously been documented as prey for Leptodeira sp. aff. ornata. This snake is native to Costa Rica and Panama, though its precise taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships remain unclear. Its diet primarily consists of anurans, including both eggs and adult individuals. We report the first documented case of predation by this Cat-eyed snake on the Common House gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus. This gecko, native to Asia, has been introduced to numerous regions worldwide and is particularly abundant in urban and semi-urban areas. The Cat-eyed snake ingested the Common House gecko starting from the tail, in contrast to a different event where a Black-banded Cat-eyed snake began ingesting a Yellow-bellied gecko from the head. This finding suggests potential foraging behavior of this Cat-eyed snake in semi-urban areas, highlighting another instance of opportunism in its dietary preferences.