Cyclocoridae · Philippine record
Levitonius mirusWEINELL, PALUH, SILER & BROWN 2020
Length: Largest specimen in the original description; not a proven biological maximum.
Diagnosis; p. 918
Venom effects and medical significance are different from toxicity rankings. Do not handle a snake on the basis of this summary.
A miniature burrowing snake from Samar and Leyte, named in 2020. Its small size and secretive life make field observations especially valuable.
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
Explore the island records ↓Species portrait
Levitonius mirus
Image to followThe illustrated collection
Adult · study plate
Levitonius mirus
Image to followJuvenile · study plate
Levitonius mirus
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
A very small snake with smooth, iridescent scales, five upper-lip scales and 15 dorsal scale rows. The largest specimen in the original description measured 172.1 mm in total length.
Literature documented · Diagnosis; discussion of miniaturisation, p. 918
Measurements refer to the original study sample, not a proven biological maximum.
Known from Samar and Leyte in the eastern Philippines.
Literature documented · Abstract, p. 907
Island records in the original description; no continuous range is inferred.
An ecological observation published in 2024 records the species at the shore of a crater lake in Burauen, Leyte.
Literature documented · Article title and publisher record
Locality-level habitat context. Lake-shore occurrence does not imply an aquatic lifestyle.
Diet, breeding and habitat preferences require examination of the full account and further field evidence.
The original-description summary treats diet as unknown. Its skull suggests a possible diet of slender prey such as earthworms, but this remains a hypothesis rather than a documented feeding record.
Literature documented · Comment: Diet; Weinell et al. (2020)
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 atlas records Levitonius mirus from these named Philippine areas: Samar, Leyte. 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.
Levitonius mirus is retained in the atlas’s dated checklist under Cyclocoridae. The authority is WEINELL, PALUH, SILER & BROWN 2020. 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 (Eastern Samar, Leyte) Type locality: Philippines, Samar Island, Eastern Samar Province, Taft, Barangay San Rafael (11.8298 ºN, 125.2768 ºE), 187 m elevation.
Known from Samar and Leyte in the eastern Philippines.
A New, Miniaturized Genus and Species of Snake (Cyclocoridae) from the Philippines ↗Abstract, p. 907
The atlas records Levitonius mirus from these named Philippine areas: Samar, Leyte. 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
References attached to this species account. Island-specific evidence is shown separately where available.
The Reptile Database — species checklist, 17 June 2026 ↗
A New, Miniaturized Genus and Species of Snake (Cyclocoridae) from the Philippines ↗
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 (Eastern Samar, Leyte) Type locality: Philippines, Samar Island, Eastern Samar Province, Taft, Barangay San Rafael (11.8298 ºN, 125.2768 ºE), 187 m elevation.
Names through time
Levitonius mirus WEINELL, PALUH, SILER & BROWN 2020
Diet: unknown, but skull morphology suggests that they eat slender-bodied prey, such as earthworms. (Weinell et al. 2020). Type species: Levitonius mirus is the type species of the genus Levitonius WEINELL, PALUH, SILER & BROWN 2020.
Uetz, P.; Freed, P.; Aguilar, R.; Reyes, F.; Kudera, J.; Hošek, J. (eds.)
Weinell, J. L.; Paluh, D. J.; Siler, C. D.; Brown, R. M.
Copeia 108(4): 907–923
Modina, R. M.; Cuta, C. B.; Memoracion, K. R.
Herpetology Notes 17: 81–85
Publisher record consulted. The full ecological account remains to be checked; no photographs or specimen details have been reproduced.
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.