Viperidae · Global account with Philippine editorial coverage
Tropidolaemus subannulatus(GRAY, 1842)
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.
A variable temple pitviper distinguished from Tropidolaemus wagleri in the 2007 revision co-authored by Mario Lutz.
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
Explore the island records ↓Species portrait
Tropidolaemus subannulatus
Image to followThe illustrated collection
Adult · study plate
Tropidolaemus subannulatus
Image to followJuvenile · study plate
Tropidolaemus subannulatus
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.
One species · Across borders
Countries and territories named in the checked sources. Island links and country lists use these same occurrence records; a country record does not imply presence on every island.
Indonesian occurrence: Belitung only; no mainland Sumatra assertion; Kalimantan; Sulawesi; Buton; Sangihe.
Region guides: SumatraKalimantanSulawesi
Checked 7 October 2026. Listed, introduced and uncertain records remain distinct. Islands not yet indexed are not claims of absence. Broad references such as “Borneo” or “New Guinea” are not automatically assigned to every country sharing the island.
The common name used by the database does not imply Philippine endemism.
The Sumatra-group link refers to Belitung, not mainland Sumatra. The historical Sulawesi name celebensis is not treated here as a separate accepted species.
Current distribution or type locality explicitly establishes Indonesian occurrence.
A closer look
The ground colour is green to blue-green. Females may have coloured crossbands; males and juveniles usually have small pale or red-and-white markings. The internasal scales are separated.
Literature documented · pp. 23–30: diagnosis and variation
Character combination from examined specimens. Colour alone is insufficient for identification.
The 2007 revision separates T. subannulatus from T. wagleri and T. philippensis on morphological evidence.
Literature documented · Abstract; species treatment, pp. 23–30
Vogel, David, Lutz, van Rooijen & Vidal (2007).
The species account records live-bearing reproduction, using the term ovoviviparous. A verified Philippine litter-size range and reproductive 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 species account characterises this snake as tree-dwelling. That broad ecological category does not establish canopy height, forest dependence or tolerance of habitat disturbance.
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.
The atlas records Tropidolaemus subannulatus from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Palawan, Mindanao, Samar, Leyte, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Romblon, Basilan, Jolo, Dinagat, Balabac. 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.
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.
Brunei (Das (2007), Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo [Stuebing & Inger, 1999; Malkmus et al., 2002]), Indonesia (Belitung, Borneo: Kalimantan, Buton, Kalimantan, Sangihe Archipelago, and Sulawesi), Philippines (Balabac, Basilan, Bohol, Dinagat, Jolo, Leyte, Luzon, Mindanao, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Samar, Sibutu, and Tumindao [Alcala, 1986], Cebu, Romblon) Type locality: The Philippines [Mindanao]
The atlas records Tropidolaemus subannulatus from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Palawan, Mindanao, Samar, Leyte, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Romblon, Basilan, Jolo, Dinagat, Balabac. 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 ↗
Tropidolaemus subannulatus — The Reptile Database species account ↗
Living with wildlife
Venomous · 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.
Brunei (Das (2007), Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo [Stuebing & Inger, 1999; Malkmus et al., 2002]), Indonesia (Belitung, Borneo: Kalimantan, Buton, Kalimantan, Sangihe Archipelago, and Sulawesi), Philippines (Balabac, Basilan, Bohol, Dinagat, Jolo, Leyte, Luzon, Mindanao, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Samar, Sibutu, and Tumindao [Alcala, 1986], Cebu, Romblon) Type locality: The Philippines [Mindanao]
Names through time
Trimeresurus subannulatus GRAY 1842: 48 Trigonocephalus wagleri var. celebensis GRAY 1849 Trimeresurus subannulatus — BOULENGER 1894: 85 Trimeresurus wagleri alboviridis TAYLOR 1917: 366 (fide LEVITON 1964) Tropidolaemus subannulatus —KUCH et al. 2007 Trimeresurus wagleri subannulatus — RELOX et al. 2011 Tropidolaemus (subannulatus) celebensis — KOCH 2012 Tropidolaemus subannulatus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 748
Venomous! Synonymy: Trimesurus subannulatus Gray, 1842 was synonymised with Trimeresurus wagleri by Günther (1864: 388) and McDIARMID et al. 1999. Vogel et al. (2007) recognised Tropidolaemus subannulatus as one of three morphologically diagnosable species in the revised T. wagleri complex and provided its redescription and taxonomic treatment on pages 23–30. Habitat: fully arboreal (Harrington et al. 2018).
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
Vogel, G.; David, P.; Lutz, M.; van Rooijen, J.; Vidal, N.
Zootaxa 1644(1): 1–40
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1644.1.1
Primary revision for the Tropidolaemus wagleri complex; treatments of T. subannulatus on pages 23–30 and T. philippensis on pages 31–33.
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.