Elapidae · Philippine record
Hydrophis inornatus(GRAY 1849)
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.
The account records a marine habitat. Island names on the map identify reported coastal areas; they are not land occupancy or a boundary of the species’ marine range. Its atlas account links 1 named island or island-group record to the source literature.
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
Explore the island records ↓Species portrait
Hydrophis inornatus
Image to followThe illustrated collection
Adult · study plate
Hydrophis inornatus
Image to followJuvenile · study plate
Hydrophis inornatus
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
Older literature may use Chitulia inornata. Reports from Australia have been questioned as misidentifications; records should be interpreted within their geographic and taxonomic context.
Literature documented · Comment: nomenclature and distribution
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 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 account records a marine habitat. Island names on the map identify reported coastal areas; they are not land occupancy or a boundary of the species’ marine range.
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 Hydrophis inornatus from these named Philippine areas: Panay. 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
Coastal records: blue outlines
Blue outlines locate coastal records, not land occupancy or marine range boundaries.
Philippine distribution
Select an island to read its distribution record and sources. Uncoloured islands are not evidence of absence.
South Chinese Sea (Philippines: Panay etc.), China (Tsingtau), Sri Lanka (fide WALL 1921), Indonesia (Java) [Schmidt 1852], Thailand, Australia (Torres Strait) Type locality: Indian Ocean
The atlas records Hydrophis inornatus from these named Philippine areas: Panay. 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 ↗
Hydrophis inornatus — 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.
South Chinese Sea (Philippines: Panay etc.), China (Tsingtau), Sri Lanka (fide WALL 1921), Indonesia (Java) [Schmidt 1852], Thailand, Australia (Torres Strait) Type locality: Indian Ocean
Names through time
Chitulia inornata GRAY 1849: 56 Chitulia fasciata GRAY 1849: 56 Thalassophis schlegelii SCHMIDT 1852: 83 Hydrophis manilae OWEN 1859: 77 (nom. nud.) Hydrophis Schlegelii — FISCHER 1856: 50 Hydrophis controversus JAN 1863 (fide SMITH 1926) Hydrophis longiceps GÜNTHER 1864: 375 (nom. subst. pro Chitulia fasciata) Distira ornata — WERNER 1896 Distira ornata BOULENGER 1896 Distira cyanosoma WALL 1913: 516 Chitulia ornata — WALL 1921: 369 Hydrophis ornatus inornatus — MITTLEMAN 1947 Hydrophis (Aturia) inornatus — MCDOWELL 1972: 229 Hydrophis inornatus — COGGER 1983: 250 Aturia inornata — WELCH 1994: 25 Hydrophis inornatus — COGGER 2000: 717 Chitulia inornata — KHARIN & DOTSENKO 2012 Hydrophis inornata — SANDERS et al. 2012 (by implication) Hydrophis inornatus — WILSON & SWAN 2010: 528 Chitulia (Chitulia) inornata — KHARIN 2012 Chitulia inornata — WALLACH et al. 2014: 165 Chitulia inornata — CHAN-ARD et al. 2015: 278 Hydrophis inornatus — EIPPER & EIPPER 2024: 260
Venomous! Synonymy after COGGER 1983. Distribution: reports from Australia (Northern Territory, Western Australia) are probably misidentifications (Rasmussen et al. 2014). Habitat: marine. Type species: Chitulia inornata GRAY 1849 is the type species of the genus Chitulia GRAY 1849. Key: Kharin & Dotsenko 2012 have a key to the 12 species of Chitulia included by them in the genus. Nomenclatural history: see KHARIN & DOTSENKO 2012.
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.