Elapidae · Philippine record
Hemibungarus calligaster(WIEGMANN 1835)
Venom: Venomous Philippine coralsnake. Species-specific clinical effects require separate assessment.
p. 89, Introduction; C. salitan venom apparatus, pp. 96–97
Venom effects and medical significance are different from toxicity rankings. Do not handle a snake on the basis of this summary.
Hemibungarus calligaster is a Elapidae snake included in the Philippine checklist. Its atlas account links 5 named island or island-group records to the source literature.
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
Explore the island records ↓Species portrait
Hemibungarus calligaster
Image to followThe illustrated collection
Adult · study plate
Hemibungarus calligaster
Image to followJuvenile · study plate
Hemibungarus calligaster
Image to followLife stages will be labelled from the contributor’s information. Images alone do not establish identification or a locality record.
Media provenance
Contributor images are forthcoming. Photographs and illustrations will retain their individual credits, permissions and evidence notes.
A closer look
Older treatments included forms now represented separately as H. gemianulis and H. mcclungi. Historical biological records under a broad H. calligaster name need their locality and taxonomic scope checked.
Literature documented · Comment: synonymy and subspecies
Species-level database summary; literature review, not expert validation.
The cited account does not establish population-wide variation or the conditions at every Philippine locality.
The species account records egg-laying reproduction. A verified Philippine clutch-size range, incubation interval and breeding calendar are not established here.
Literature documented · Reproduction field
Reproductive mode reported for this named species.
Mode alone does not establish litter or clutch size, seasonal timing, or captive husbandry requirements.
The atlas records Hemibungarus calligaster from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Mindoro, Panay, Negros, Cebu. These are literature areas rather than a continuous range boundary.
Literature documented · Existing checklist occurrence statement and distribution review
The original evidence level is retained.
A country listing cannot establish an island or a precise locality.
Across the archipelago
Documented islands: gold · island groups: dashed circles
Island-level records · not continuous habitat coverage. Dashed circles locate groups, not individual observations.
Philippine distribution
Select an island to read its distribution record and sources. Uncoloured islands are not evidence of absence.
Philippines (Luzon, Mindoro, Cebu, Negros, Panay) Type locality: Manila, Luzon Id., Philippines
The atlas records Hemibungarus calligaster from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Mindoro, Panay, Negros, Cebu. These are literature areas rather than a continuous range boundary.
The Reptile Database — species checklist, 17 June 2026 ↗Existing checklist occurrence statement and distribution review
Synopsis of the Snakes of the Philippines: A Synthesis of Data from Biodiversity Repositories, Field Studies, and the Literature ↗Existing checklist occurrence statement and distribution review
References attached to this species account. Island-specific evidence is shown separately where available.
The Reptile Database — species checklist, 17 June 2026 ↗
Hemibungarus calligaster — The Reptile Database species account ↗
Living with wildlife
Venomous · Effects not yet summarised in this atlas
Observe from a distance. Do not handle, corner or capture a snake to identify it. An incomplete venom account is not evidence that a species is safe to handle.
After a suspected snakebite, keep the person still and arrange urgent medical care. Avoid tight tourniquets, cutting, suction and unproven remedies. Do not wait to identify the snake before seeking help.
WHO guidance on snakebite first aidSpecies record
Range noteCountry/island text is not a range polygon or locality record.
Philippines (Luzon, Mindoro, Cebu, Negros, Panay) Type locality: Manila, Luzon Id., Philippines
Names through time
Elaps calligaster WIEGMANN 1834: 253 ? Elaps collaris vel calligaster — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854: 1226 Naja (Hamadryas) fasciata PETERS 1861: 689 Hemibungarus calligaster — PETERS 1862: 637 Hemibungarus calligaster — BOULENGER 1896 Hemibungarus fasciatus — BOETTGER 1898: 122 Hemibungarus calligaster calligaster — WELCH 1994: 65 Hemibungarus calligaster — SLOWINSKI, BOUNDY & LAWSON 2001 Hemibungarus calligaster calligaster — MCLEOD et al. 2011 Hemibungarus calligaster — WALLACH et al. 2014: 325 Hemibungarus calligaster calligasteri — BINADAY et al. 2017
Venomous! Synonymy: Wallach et al. 2014 list Hemibungarus macclungi TAYLOR 1922 as a synonym of Hemibungarus calligaster. The species is hardly mentioned in the literature, but has been treated as valid species or subspecies by more recent authors. Subspecies: Calliophis calligaster gemianulis (PETERS 1872) is now treated as a valid species by most recent authors. Type species: Elaps calligaster WIEGMANN 1834 is the type species of the genus Hemibungarus PETERS 1862. Reference images: see Uetz et al. 2024 for high-resolution reference images for this species.
Uetz, P.; Freed, P.; Aguilar, R.; Reyes, F.; Kudera, J.; Hošek, J. (eds.)
Leviton, A. E.; Siler, C. D.; Weinell, J. L.; Brown, R. M.
Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 64(14): 399–568
Brown, R. M.; Smart, U.; Leviton, A. E.; Smith, E. N.
Herpetologica 74(1): 89–104
Table 3 gives total-length maxima of examined series; C. salitan venom apparatus described on pp. 96–97.
Uetz, P.; Hallermann, J. et al. (editors)
Public species fields consulted for bounded biological summaries. Primary sources quoted within the database were not independently examined unless explicitly stated. The catalogue name may differ from the current source title.