Colubridae · Philippine record
Boiga philippina(PETERS 1867)
Venom: Rear-fanged venomous snake. Venom use is established for the genus; human medical significance and individual toxin activities are separate questions. The 2018 study directly examined B. cynodon and B. dendrophila, but not every Philippine Boiga species.
Abstract; genus-wide venom ecology and sampled species
Venom effects and medical significance are different from toxicity rankings. Do not handle a snake on the basis of this summary.
Uses streamside understorey. At Nassiping, one snake was active at night among low branches. 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
Boiga philippina
Image to followThe illustrated collection
Adult · study plate
Boiga philippina
Image to followJuvenile · study plate
Boiga philippina
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
Uses streamside understorey. At Nassiping, one snake was active at night among low branches.
Literature documented · Boiga philippina account; Fig. 77
Northern Luzon; one encounter.
Not an estimate of habitat preference or abundance.
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 Boiga philippina from these named Philippine areas: Luzon. 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.
Boiga philippina is retained in the atlas’s dated checklist under Colubridae. The authority is (PETERS 1867). 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 (Luzon) Type locality: “Ylaces im Nordwesttheile von Luzon”
The atlas records Boiga philippina from these named Philippine areas: Luzon. 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 ↗
Three-Finger Toxin Diversification in the Venoms of Cat-Eye Snakes (Colubridae: Boiga) ↗
Living with wildlife
Venomous · rear-fanged · 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 (Luzon) Type locality: “Ylaces im Nordwesttheile von Luzon”
Names through time
Dipsas Philippina PETERS 1867: 27 Boiga philippina — BAUER et al. 1995: 71 Boiga philipina [sic] — GROEN 2008 Boiga philippina — WALLACH et al. 2014: 106 Boiga philippina — WEINELL et al. 2020
Known only from the holotype. 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
Brown, R. M.; Siler, C. D.; Oliveros, C. H.; Welton, L. J.; Rock, A.; Swab, J.; Van Weerd, M.; Van Beijnen, J.; Jose, E.; Rodriguez, D.; Jose, E.; Diesmos, A. C.
ZooKeys 266: 1–120
Dashevsky, D.; Debono, J.; Rokyta, D.; Nouwens, A.; Josh, P.; Fry, B. G.
Journal of Molecular Evolution 86: 531–545
DOI: 10.1007/s00239-018-9864-6
Explicit genus-wide venom ecology; directly samples B. cynodon and B. dendrophila. Species-specific toxin activity is not extrapolated across the genus.
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.