Length not yet addedAtlas entry awaiting completion
Venom status
Venom classification not yet addedHuman effects: atlas summary awaiting completion
Known venom effects
Effects not yet summarised in this atlas
The diagnosis emphasises a V-shaped lower jaw and a short, narrow rostral shield. Its pale body bears irregular dark spotting. Several distinguishing characters require anatomical examination. Its atlas account links 1 named island or island-group record to the source literature.
OccurrenceConfirmed
Islands named1
Natural history4 sourced topics
References3
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
Reserved for a contributor imageCredit and usage rights will accompany the image.
Juvenile · study plate
Acutotyphlops banaorum
Image to follow
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.
Acutotyphlops banaorum Portrait
Type
Illustration
Credit
Mario Lutz
Usage rights
Copyright Mario Lutz. Authorised for display in this atlas; no third-party reuse licence granted.
Evidence status
Illustration; not a specimen or occurrence record.
Acutotyphlops banaorum
Type
Illustration
Credit
Mario Lutz
Usage rights
Copyright Mario Lutz. Authorised for display in this atlas; no third-party reuse licence granted.
Evidence status
Illustration; not a specimen or occurrence record.
A closer look
Natural history & identification
Appearance & identification
The diagnosis emphasises a V-shaped lower jaw and a short, narrow rostral shield. Its pale body bears irregular dark spotting. Several distinguishing characters require anatomical examination.
Literature documented · Diagnosis; Wallach et al. (2007) as reproduced in RDB
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.
Reproduction
The species account records egg-laying reproduction. A verified Philippine clutch-size range, incubation interval and breeding calendar are not established here.
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
Acutotyphlops banaorum is retained in the atlas’s dated checklist under Typhlopidae. The authority is WALLACH, BROWN, DIESMOS & GEE 2007. 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
Where this species is recorded
PhilippinesN ↑
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
1 named island / island group
Select an island to read its distribution record and sources. Uncoloured islands are not evidence of absence.
Distribution record & sources
N Philippines (Luzon: Kalinga Province)
Type locality: irrigation ditch in a muddy area of water pools near Barangay Balbalasang, Municipality of Balbalan, Kalinga Province, Luzon Island, The Philippines (17°29’N, 121°03’E), 900 m elevation.
The atlas records Acutotyphlops banaorum from these named Philippine areas: Luzon. These are literature areas rather than a continuous range boundary.
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.
2018 Philippine synopsis treatment plus current RDB listing
Islands named
Luzon
Range noteCountry/island text is not a range polygon or locality record.
Source distribution statement
N Philippines (Luzon: Kalinga Province)
Type locality: irrigation ditch in a muddy area of water pools near Barangay Balbalasang, Municipality of Balbalan, Kalinga Province, Luzon Island, The Philippines (17°29’N, 121°03’E), 900 m elevation.
Knowledge coverage
EndemismResearch pending
EcologyResearch pending
VenomVenom classification not yet added Effects not yet summarised in this atlasDetailed research: Research pending
Type species: Acutotyphlops banaorum WALLACH et al. 2007 is the type species (and single species) of the genus Martinwellstyphlops HOSER 2012.
Synonymy: The genera Martinwellstyphlops HOSER 2012 and Swiletyphlops HOSER 2012 have been rejected and synonymized with Acutotyphlops by KAISER et al. 2013.
References attached to this record
2026
The Reptile Database — species checklist, 17 June 2026
Acutotyphlops banaorum — 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.