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Colubridae · Philippine record

Zigzag-lined Water Snake

Rhabdophis lineatus(PETERS 1861)

Length
Length not yet addedAtlas entry awaiting completion
Venom status
Non-venomousNon-venomous does not mean safe to handle
Known venom effects
Not applicable · non-venomous
Size & venom sources

Venom: Basic classification explicitly recorded in the species account. Detailed effects and medical significance have not yet been summarised here.

Species account, Comments

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

Rhabdophis lineatus is a Colubridae snake included in the Philippine checklist. Its atlas account links 5 named island or island-group records to the source literature.

OccurrenceConfirmed
Islands named5
Natural history3 sourced topics
References3

Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending

Explore the island records ↓

Species portrait

Rhabdophis lineatus

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

The illustrated collection

Adult & juvenile

Adult · study plate

Rhabdophis lineatus

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

Juvenile · study plate

Rhabdophis lineatus

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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.

Philippine distribution

The atlas records Rhabdophis lineatus from these named Philippine areas: Mindanao, Samar, Leyte, Bohol, Basilan. 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

Rhabdophis lineatus 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
Rhabdophis lineatus — all named islandsMindanaoSamarLeyteBoholBasilan

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

5 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 (Basilan, Bohol, Mindanao, Samar, Leyte) Type locality: “Loquilocun, Insel Samar”

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 ↗

Rhabdophis lineatus — The Reptile Database species account ↗

Living with wildlife

Give this snake space.

Non-venomous · Not applicable · non-venomous

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
Rhabdophis lineatus
Common names
Zigzag-lined Water Snake
Authority
(PETERS 1861)
Year described
1861
Taxonomic status
Accepted species
Family
Colubridae
Subfamily
Natricinae
Genus
Rhabdophis
Species epithet
lineatus
Persistent ID
PH-SERP-34241857C6
Checklist checked
2026-09-05

Philippine occurrence

Status
Present
Confidence
Confirmed
Basis
2018 Philippine synopsis treatment plus current RDB listing
Islands named
Mindanao, Samar, Leyte, Bohol, Basilan

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

Source distribution statement

Philippines (Basilan, Bohol, Mindanao, Samar, Leyte) Type locality: “Loquilocun, Insel Samar”

Knowledge coverage

EndemismResearch pending
EcologyResearch pending
VenomNon-venomous
Not applicable · non-venomous
Detailed research: Research pending
ConservationResearch pending

Names through time

Nomenclatural trail

Tropidonotus lineatus PETERS 1861: 686 Tropidonotus lineatus — BOULENGER 1893: 262 Natrix lineata — TAYLOR 1922: 293 Natrix lineata — TAYLOR 1922: 92 Rhabdophis lineatus — BAUER et al. 1995: 75 Rhabdophis lineatus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 635

Taxonomic and source notes

Non-venomous.

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.

Rhabdophis lineatus — 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 ↗