Colubridae · Philippine record
Lycodon dumerilii(BOULENGER 1893)
Lycodon dumerilii is a Colubridae snake included in the Philippine checklist. Its atlas account links 4 named island or island-group records to the source literature.
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
Explore the island records ↓Species portrait
Lycodon dumerilii
Image to followThe illustrated collection
Adult · study plate
Lycodon dumerilii
Image to followJuvenile · study plate
Lycodon dumerilii
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
Bernstein et al. (2026) place this name in the synonymy of Stegonotus muelleri. This legacy account remains accessible; it should not be counted as an additional species under that revision.
Literature documented · Section 4.3, p. 14
Historical checklist record.
No database concepts or specimen records have been merged.
The species account records egg-laying reproduction. A verified Philippine clutch-size range, incubation interval and breeding 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 atlas records Lycodon dumerilii from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Mindanao, Samar, Basilan. 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.
Philippines (Basilan, Mindanao, Samar, Surigao, Daraga, Luzon) Type locality: not designated (from unknown Philippine localities). Restricted to Surigao, Surigao Province, Mindanao.
The atlas records Lycodon dumerilii from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Mindanao, Samar, Basilan. 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 ↗
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 (Basilan, Mindanao, Samar, Surigao, Daraga, Luzon) Type locality: not designated (from unknown Philippine localities). Restricted to Surigao, Surigao Province, Mindanao.
Names through time
Stegonotus dumerili BOULENGER 1893: 368 Dryocalamus mccroryi TAYLOR 1922 Stegonotus dumerilii — TAYLOR 1922: 130 Lycodon dumerili — LANZA 1999 Dryocalamus mccroryae — MICHELS & BAUER 2004 Dryocalamus mccroryi — DUBOIS 2007 Lycodon dumerilii — WALLACH et al. 2014: 393 Lycodon dumerilii — ZAHER et al. 2019
Comparisons: L. bibonius, L. muelleri, and L. dumerili, possess transverse light bands throughout the body and tail. However, the number of bands in L. bibonius is greater than in L. dumerili and less than those of L. muelleri. These differences correspond to the breadth of dark interspace between bands; the space is widest in L. dumerili, followed by L. bibonius, and narrowest in L. muelleri (Table 1). In L. muelleri, each interspace is usually divided into three parts by extensions of neighboring pale bands, and each has a prominent light margin. Consequently, the dorsal pattern of this species has a median row of large dark spots and two lateral rows of smaller spots against a light brown ground color. Interspaces in L. bibonius and L. dumerili, on the other hand, are always continuous, and pale margins are not prominent or wholly lacking (Figs. 6, 12). Adults ofL. muelleri and L. dumerili have more or less developed keels in the posterior dorsal scales (juveniles of these species lack them). These keels are not evident in adults of L. alcalai, L. chrysoprateros, and L. solivagus (this character state remains unknown for L. bibonius). (Ota & Ross 1994)
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
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.
Bernstein, J. M. et al.
Section 4.3, pp. 13–14. Current names are annotated without merging or reassigning historical atlas records.