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Typhlopidae · Philippine record

Marx's Worm Snake

Ramphotyphlops marxi(WALLACH 1993)

Length
Length not yet addedAtlas entry awaiting completion
Venom status
Venom classification not yet addedHuman effects: atlas summary awaiting completion
Known venom effects
Effects not yet summarised in this atlas

The original diagnosis combines 30 midbody scale rows with a sharp transverse edge across the snout. Additional distinguishing features concern internal anatomy. Its atlas account links 1 named island or island-group record to the source literature.

OccurrenceConfirmed
Islands named1
Natural history4 sourced topics
References3

Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending

Explore the island records ↓

Species portrait

Ramphotyphlops marxi

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The illustrated collection

Adult & juvenile

Adult · study plate

Ramphotyphlops marxi

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Juvenile · study plate

Ramphotyphlops marxi

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Reserved for a contributor imageCredit and usage rights will accompany the image.

Life stages will be labelled from the contributor’s information. Images alone do not establish identification or a locality record.

Media provenance

Every image carries its source.

Contributor images are forthcoming. Photographs and illustrations will retain their individual credits, permissions and evidence notes.

A closer look

Natural history & identification

Appearance & identification

The original diagnosis combines 30 midbody scale rows with a sharp transverse edge across the snout. Additional distinguishing features concern internal anatomy.

Evidence & scope

Literature documented · Diagnosis; Wallach (1993)

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.

Reproduction

The species account records egg-laying reproduction. A verified Philippine clutch-size range, incubation interval and breeding calendar are not established here.

Evidence & scope

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.

Philippine distribution

The atlas records Ramphotyphlops marxi from these named Philippine areas: Samar. These are literature areas rather than a continuous range boundary.

Evidence & scope

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.

Taxonomic context

Ramphotyphlops marxi is retained in the atlas’s dated checklist under Typhlopidae. The authority is (WALLACH 1993). Earlier names and the original source notes are preserved below for comparison.

Evidence & scope

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

Where this species is recorded

Philippines
Ramphotyphlops marxi — all named islandsSamar

Documented islands: gold · island groups: dashed circles

Island-level records · not continuous habitat coverage. Dashed circles locate groups, not individual observations.

Philippine distribution

Documented places

1 named island / island group

Select an island to read its distribution record and sources. Uncoloured islands are not evidence of absence.

Distribution record & sources

Philippines (Samar Island) Type locality: "Tarabucan (12°13'N, 124°35'E), 4 miles southeast of spur of Sigarag Mountains (which are 13 miles south of Catarman), Matuguinao Municipality, extreme northern Western Samar Province, NW Samar Island, NE Visayas Group, east-central Philippines."

References attached to this species account. Island-specific evidence is shown separately where available.

The Reptile Database — species checklist, 17 June 2026 ↗

Synopsis of the Snakes of the Philippines: A Synthesis of Data from Biodiversity Repositories, Field Studies, and the Literature ↗

Ramphotyphlops marxi — The Reptile Database species account ↗

Living with wildlife

Give this snake space.

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 aid

Species record

Taxonomy, occurrence & evidence.

Identity

Accepted name
Ramphotyphlops marxi
Common names
Marx's Worm Snake
Authority
(WALLACH 1993)
Year described
1993
Taxonomic status
Accepted species
Family
Typhlopidae
Subfamily
Asiatyphlopinae
Genus
Ramphotyphlops
Species epithet
marxi
Persistent ID
PH-SERP-2659774CE1
Checklist checked
2026-09-05

Philippine occurrence

Status
Present
Confidence
Confirmed
Basis
2018 Philippine synopsis treatment plus current RDB listing
Islands named
Samar

Range noteCountry/island text is not a range polygon or locality record.

Source distribution statement

Philippines (Samar Island) Type locality: "Tarabucan (12°13'N, 124°35'E), 4 miles southeast of spur of Sigarag Mountains (which are 13 miles south of Catarman), Matuguinao Municipality, extreme northern Western Samar Province, NW Samar Island, NE Visayas Group, east-central Philippines."

Knowledge coverage

EndemismResearch pending
EcologyResearch pending
VenomVenom classification not yet added
Effects not yet summarised in this atlas
Detailed research: Research pending
ConservationResearch pending

Names through time

Nomenclatural trail

Typhlops marxi WALLACH 1993 Typhlops marxi — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 110 Ramphotyphlops marxi — WALLACH et al. 2007 Ramphotyphlops marxi — HEDGES et al. 2014 Ramphotyphlops marxi — WALLACH et al. 2014: 629

References attached to this record

2026

The Reptile Database — species checklist, 17 June 2026

Uetz, P.; Freed, P.; Aguilar, R.; Reyes, F.; Kudera, J.; Hošek, J. (eds.)

Open source ↗
2018

Synopsis of the Snakes of the Philippines: A Synthesis of Data from Biodiversity Repositories, Field Studies, and the Literature

Leviton, A. E.; Siler, C. D.; Weinell, J. L.; Brown, R. M.

Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 64(14): 399–568

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.11512589

Open source ↗
n.d.

Ramphotyphlops marxi — The Reptile Database species account

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.

Open source ↗