第 0572 號，共 1 402 號

Brown tree snake

Boiga irregularis

名字的由來： Its genus, Boiga, is a group of about twenty-five snakes called 'cat-eyed' snakes because they have vertical pupils.1

只是會痛會痛，但不會對你造成嚴重傷害。

後毒牙蛇

咬吃：肉

對人的危險: 疼痛可能會非常痛，但幾乎從來不會很嚴重。

The brown tree snake is a slender, night-active snake that climbs well and hunts in trees and on the ground. It lives in coastal northern and eastern Australia, eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and nearby islands. It is famous for harming wildlife on the island of Guam, where it was introduced by accident.1

分布在

Coastal eastern and northern Australia, eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and islands of northwestern Melanesia. Introduced to Guam.1

亞洲, 澳洲與大洋洲

首頁

It lives in forests, grasslands and sparsely forested areas, and is common in places disturbed by people. It hides during the day in palm crowns, hollow logs, rock crevices, caves and the dark corners of thatched houses near the roof. In Darwin, Australia, it is most often met in suburban areas during the wet season from January to March.1

長度

1 m 到 2 m (3,3 ft 到 6,6 ft)1

最高速度

大約 6 km/h（3,7 mph）

在陸地上, 粗略估計

牠吃什麼？

It eats birds, lizards, bats, mice, other small rodents and frogs, as well as many invertebrates and their eggs. It hunts using both sight and chemical cues. Often it wraps its body around its prey like a constrictor to hold it still while it eats.1

Brown tree snake 的照片 — Brown tree snake。照片：Pavel Kirillov from St.Petersburg, Russia。 CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

怎麼認出牠

Slender body, with a large head compared to its body1
Usually brown, but can be yellowish, green or beige1
Some individuals have red, saddle-shaped blotches1
Vertical pupils, like a cat's eyes1
Active at night, and usually found in trees1

毒液力量

咬

咬的時候，毒液會從毒牙或牙齒出來。

牠的毒液有什麼作用？

It has two small, grooved fangs at the back of the mouth, so venom flows into the bite slowly rather than being injected in one go. The venom is weakly neurotoxic, meaning it affects the nerves, and may also damage cells locally. Its effects are trivial for adults, and it is mainly used to subdue lizards.1

牠對人有多危險？

對人的危險: 疼痛可能會非常痛，但幾乎從來不會很嚴重。

The snake is considered aggressive when threatened but not dangerous to adult humans. Serious medical consequences have been limited to children, who are more affected because of their low body mass. On Guam, it has caused widespread power outages, pet losses and emotional distress to residents.1

牠害怕時會做什麼？

When threatened it is highly aggressive, lunging and striking at the attacker repeatedly.1

如果牠咬人

清洗咬傷處，讓傷者保持冷靜，並且就醫。有些種類（例如非洲樹蛇）可能在幾個小時後才致命。

一定要先打緊急電話（112、000、911）。這是一般急救指引，不是醫療建議。急救基本知識

注意安全

絕對不要碰、抓或捉弄野生動物，就算是很小的動物，就算牠看起來在睡覺或已經死了也一樣。
給牠空間。如果遇到了，保持冷靜，慢慢往後退，讓牠自己離開。
如果被牠咬了：保持冷靜，保持不動，打緊急電話（112、000、911）或趕快去醫院。記住牠的樣子，有照片會很有幫助。

牠不是想來抓你。牠用毒液來捕捉食物或保護自己，而且牠更想躲起來。更多安全知識

在世界上的哪裡？

非洲亞洲歐洲北美洲南美洲澳洲與大洋洲

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

跟 4 隻家貓從鼻子接到尾巴一樣長跟 11 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長可以在 60 秒內跑完 100 公尺（最快的人類需要 9.6 秒）

Brown tree snake 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡做算術。什麼都不會儲存，也不會傳送到任何地方。

牠有多快？

一個正在走路的人 大約 5 km/h (3,1 mph)

Brown tree snake 大約 6 km/h (3,7 mph)

騎腳踏車的小朋友 大約 12 km/h (7,5 mph)

值得知道

小知識

Snakes on Guam have been seen moving up large smooth cylinders using a method called 'lasso locomotion', which had not been recorded in snakes before. It is tiring, so they move slowly and stop often.1

On Guam, where prey is plentiful and there are few predators, the snakes have grown to 3 m, much longer than their typical 1 to 2 m in their native range.1

Shortly after World War II, the snake reached Guam by accident, probably as a stowaway in ship cargo or in aircraft landing gear. Its numbers then grew to unprecedented levels.1

Trained dogs are used on Guam to find and remove snakes before cargo and transport vessels leave the island.1

Female brown tree snakes have been seen performing courtship behaviours normally used by males, such as tongue-flicking and head-jerking.1

Brown tree snakes can survive for long periods without food.1

破解迷思

迷思： The brown tree snake is a deadly snake that is dangerous to adults.

真相： It is not considered dangerous to adult humans. Its venom is weak and serious effects have mainly been seen in young children.1

給毒液專家

學名: Boiga irregularis
類群: 後毒牙蛇
家人: Colubridae2
排序: Squamata
各大洲: 亞洲, 澳洲與大洋洲
寶寶: The female lays 4 to 12 oblong eggs with leathery shells and may lay up to two clutches a year. The eggs hatch about 90 days later.1
對人的危險: 2 / 5: 疼痛3