A picture of a rare snake cat or serpens catus has been making rounds on the internet. Its alleged existence in the Amazon rainforest has established its place among trending topics of discussion on Twitter and TikTok. However, the Amazon serpens catus or snake cat does not exist.
The particular image shared on social media is a regular housecat photoshopped with bright black and yellow patterns, which was teased as a rare species of Amazon rainforest serpens catus. It was also named a snake cat due to its striking resemblance to a Boiga snake.
How did the Amazon serpens catus or snake cat become viral?
Serpens catus is the rarest species of feline on Earth .These Animals live in hard to reach regions of the Amazon rainforest , and therefore they are relatively poorly studied .The first images capturing the snake cat appeared only in the 2020.Weighs up the 4 stone pic.twitter.com/rpeMQKCF4I
— Jeff_kamara2 (@Kamara2R) March 14, 2023
A Twitter user Jeff Kamara (@Kamara2R) shared an image of a bright black and yellow cat that looked nothing less than a wildlife photography capture. The user uploaded the image claiming it was a rare serpens cat. Its name comes from its uncanny resemblance with the Boiga species of snakes.
Furthermore, the user added that this rare species of cat is only found in the depths of the Amazon rainforest. Due to this, they are poorly studied and its first photograph was only released in 2020. They also mentioned that the serpens catus “snake” cat weighs about four pounds.
I still want one…..
— Sebastian Mort (@SebastianMort_1) March 15, 2023
Cat lovers on the Internet quickly took a liking to the serpens cat, however, there is no evidence supporting the mentioned descriptions. Soon after, netizens noticed that the original image was a work of skillful editing in photoshop.
Can people dye cat fur and is it safe to do so?
The serpens catus is a photoshopped image however people have often expressed their curiosity about pet dyes. According to Pet Health Network, cats are sensitive to certain drugs and chemicals. Their metabolism isn’t capable of breaking down harsh compounds present in regular washing powder, soap, and hair dye, which can even be poisonous for them.
However, there are some cat hair dyes available in the market that are pet-safe. Pet Health Network has noted that even natural essential oils can cause adverse effects on cats’ health. They can experience difficulty in breathing, burns in the mouth, and liver failure. Therefore, it is advisable to talk with a veteran before attempting to dye pets.
The other day I ended up on this weird corner of the internet where people photoshopped cats onto bread. So now that I saw them, so do you 😂 pic.twitter.com/YF7tnCSrt3
— Tuscany (@NotYourNiqabae) July 25, 2021
The trending Amazon serpens catus popularly known as snake cat does not exist. The image is just a mixture of imagination, creativity, and photoshopping skills. There are many more pictures of similarly photoshopped cats, dogs, horses, and various other animals available online.
Do you have a favorite edit of a cat? Do let us know in the comments below and follow Spiel Times for more debunking of theories. We will see you next time.
