Behaviour
Three Sibuyan snakes climbed tree trunks between 20:00 and 22:00, apparently searching for prey.
Evidence & scope
Literature documented · p. 972, Remarks
Three encounters.
Prey capture was not documented.
Colubridae · Philippine record
Dryophiops philippinaBOULENGER 1896
Length: Three Sibuyan specimens. A measured sample, not the species maximum.
p. 972, Identification
Venom effects and medical significance are different from toxicity rankings. Do not handle a snake on the basis of this summary.
The sampled snakes were slender, cream-brown above and pale to bright yellow below, with 15 midbody scale rows. Its atlas account links 4 named island or island-group records to the source literature.
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
Explore the island records ↓Species portrait
Dryophiops philippina
Image to followThe illustrated collection
Adult · study plate
Dryophiops philippina
Image to followJuvenile · study plate
Dryophiops philippina
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
Three Sibuyan snakes climbed tree trunks between 20:00 and 22:00, apparently searching for prey.
Literature documented · p. 972, Remarks
Three encounters.
Prey capture was not documented.
The sampled snakes were slender, cream-brown above and pale to bright yellow below, with 15 midbody scale rows.
Literature documented · p. 972; Fig. 31
Sibuyan specimens.
Not a complete diagnostic character set.
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 Dryophiops philippina from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Mindoro, Panay, Sibuyan. 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.
Dryophiops philippina is retained in the atlas’s dated checklist under Colubridae. The authority is BOULENGER 1896. Earlier names and the original source notes are preserved below for comparison.
Literature documented · Checklist identity and nomenclatural trail
Checklist verified 2026-09-05; not a newly revised taxonomic backbone.
Historical names can cover different biological concepts; synonyms should not be used to transfer records automatically.
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, Sibuyan, Bataan, Panay) Type locality: Cape Engano, Luzon, Philippines (designated by LEVITON 1964)
The atlas records Dryophiops philippina from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Mindoro, Panay, Sibuyan. 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 ↗
Dryophiops philippina — The Reptile Database species account ↗
Living with wildlife
Venom classification not yet added · 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, Sibuyan, Bataan, Panay) Type locality: Cape Engano, Luzon, Philippines (designated by LEVITON 1964)
Names through time
Dryophiops philippina BOULENGER 1896: 195 Dryophiops philippina — BROWN & ALCALA 1970: 114 Dryophiops philippina — GAULKE et al. 2003 Dryophiops philippina — GAULKE 2011: 279 Dryophiops philippina — WALLACH et al. 2014: 249
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
Meneses, C. G.; Siler, C. D.; Alviola, P. A.; Balatibat, J. B.; Gonzalez, J. C. T.; Natividad, C. A.; Brown, R. M.
Check List 18(5): 941–984
Full species accounts consulted. Tentative Sibuyan taxon assignments are not transferred to confirmed species claims.
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.