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Colubridae · Philippine record

Philippine Blunt-headed Cat Snake

Boiga angulata(PETERS 1861)

Length
Length not yet addedAtlas entry awaiting completion
Venom status
Venomous · rear-fangedHuman effects: atlas summary awaiting completion
Known venom effects
Effects not yet summarised in this atlas
Size & venom sources

Venom: Rear-fanged venomous snake. Venom use is established for the genus; human medical significance and individual toxin activities are separate questions. The 2018 study directly examined B. cynodon and B. dendrophila, but not every Philippine Boiga species.

Abstract; genus-wide venom ecology and sampled species

Venom effects and medical significance are different from toxicity rankings. Do not handle a snake on the basis of this summary.

The species account characterises this snake as tree-dwelling. That broad ecological category does not establish canopy height, forest dependence or tolerance of habitat disturbance. Its atlas account links 9 named island or island-group records to the source literature.

OccurrenceConfirmed
Islands named9
Natural history4 sourced topics
References4

Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending

Explore the island records ↓

Species portrait

Boiga angulata

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

The illustrated collection

Adult & juvenile

Adult · study plate

Boiga angulata

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

Juvenile · study plate

Boiga angulata

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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

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.

Ecology & habitat

The species account characterises this snake as tree-dwelling. That broad ecological category does not establish canopy height, forest dependence or tolerance of habitat disturbance.

Evidence & scope

Literature documented · Comment: Habitat

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.

Philippine distribution

The atlas records Boiga angulata from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Mindanao, Samar, Leyte, Panay, Negros, Bohol, Romblon, Polillo. 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

Boiga angulata is retained in the atlas’s dated checklist under Colubridae. The authority is (PETERS 1861). 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
Boiga angulata — all named islandsLuzonMindanaoSamarLeytePanayNegrosBoholRomblonPolillo

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

9 named islands / island groups

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

Distribution record & sources

Philippines (Bohol, Catanduantes, Leyte, Luzon, Mindanao, Negros, Polillo, Samar, Panay, Romblon). Type locality: “Insel Leyete”

The atlas records Boiga angulata from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Mindanao, Samar, Leyte, Panay, Negros, Bohol, Romblon, Polillo. 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 ↗

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

Three-Finger Toxin Diversification in the Venoms of Cat-Eye Snakes (Colubridae: Boiga) ↗

Boiga angulata — The Reptile Database species account ↗

Living with wildlife

Give this snake space.

Venomous · rear-fanged · 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
Boiga angulata
Common names
Philippine Blunt-headed Cat Snake, Leyte Cat Snake
Authority
(PETERS 1861)
Year described
1861
Taxonomic status
Accepted species
Family
Colubridae
Genus
Boiga
Species epithet
angulata
Persistent ID
PH-SERP-2D5C9C46A2
Checklist checked
2026-09-05

Philippine occurrence

Status
Present
Confidence
Confirmed
Basis
2018 Philippine synopsis treatment plus current RDB listing
Islands named
Luzon, Mindanao, Samar, Leyte, Panay, Negros, Bohol, Romblon, Polillo

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

Source distribution statement

Philippines (Bohol, Catanduantes, Leyte, Luzon, Mindanao, Negros, Polillo, Samar, Panay, Romblon). Type locality: “Insel Leyete”

Knowledge coverage

EndemismResearch pending
EcologyLiterature documented
VenomVenomous · rear-fanged
Effects not yet summarised in this atlas
Detailed research: Research pending
ConservationResearch pending

Names through time

Nomenclatural trail

Dipsas (Dipsadomorphus) angulata PETERS 1861: 688 Boiga angulata — BAUER et al. 1995: 70 Boiga cf. angulata — GAULKE 2001: 23 Boiga cf. angulata — GAULKE 2011: 240 Boiga angulata — WALLACH et al. 2014: 101 Boiga angulata — WEINELL et al. 2020

Taxonomic and source notes

Habitat: fully arboreal (Harrington et al. 2018).

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 ↗
2018

Three-Finger Toxin Diversification in the Venoms of Cat-Eye Snakes (Colubridae: Boiga)

Dashevsky, D.; Debono, J.; Rokyta, D.; Nouwens, A.; Josh, P.; Fry, B. G.

Journal of Molecular Evolution 86: 531–545

DOI: 10.1007/s00239-018-9864-6

Explicit genus-wide venom ecology; directly samples B. cynodon and B. dendrophila. Species-specific toxin activity is not extrapolated across the genus.

Open source ↗
n.d.

Boiga angulata — 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 ↗