Colubridae · Global account with Philippine editorial coverage
Chrysopelea paradisiBOIE, 1827
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. Its atlas account links 6 named island or island-group records to the source literature.
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
Explore the island records ↓Species portrait
Chrysopelea paradisi
Image to followThe illustrated collection
Adult · study plate
Chrysopelea paradisi
Image to followJuvenile · study plate
Chrysopelea paradisi
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
Explore the recorded countries and islands. Select a highlighted area to see its distribution evidence.
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Shading identifies recorded countries or named islands, not continuous habitat coverage. Uncoloured areas do not establish absence.
Natural Earth · 1:50m · public domain. Small islands may lack an outline.
Explore the distribution
Select a highlighted area to see its status, island records and sources. Each country and island links to the same shared species collection.
Use “Worldwide records” to include distant introduced and uncertain records in the map view.
Source explicitly lists Indonesian occurrence; no contrary country-level exclusion in Comment.
A closer look
Aerial gliding is documented in the species account. It is controlled movement through the air rather than powered flight; this account supplies no Philippine glide-distance measurements.
Literature documented · Comment: Behavior
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 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 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 Chrysopelea paradisi from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Dinagat, Sulu. 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.
Chrysopelea paradisi is retained in the atlas’s dated checklist under Colubridae. The authority is BOIE 1827. 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.
Thailand (incl. Phuket) Indonesia (Bangka, Belitung, Java, Mentawai Archipelago, Natuna Archipelago, Nias, Riau Archipelago, Sumatra, We, Borneo, Sulawesi, Bali); Brunei Darussalam; India (Andaman Islands); Malaysia (Malaya and East Malaysia, Pulau Pangkor); Myanmar (Burma) Philippines (including Sulu Archipelago, Negros Oriental, Panay, Luzon, Cebu, Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Island); Singapore celebensis: Indonesia (Sulawesi). variabilis: Philippines (including Sulu Archipelago, Panay) Type locality: Java
The atlas records Chrysopelea paradisi from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Dinagat, Sulu. 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 ↗
Chrysopelea paradisi — The Reptile Database species account ↗
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.
Thailand (incl. Phuket) Indonesia (Bangka, Belitung, Java, Mentawai Archipelago, Natuna Archipelago, Nias, Riau Archipelago, Sumatra, We, Borneo, Sulawesi, Bali); Brunei Darussalam; India (Andaman Islands); Malaysia (Malaya and East Malaysia, Pulau Pangkor); Myanmar (Burma) Philippines (including Sulu Archipelago, Negros Oriental, Panay, Luzon, Cebu, Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Island); Singapore celebensis: Indonesia (Sulawesi). variabilis: Philippines (including Sulu Archipelago, Panay) Type locality: Java
Names through time
Chrysopelea paradisi H. BOIE in F. BOIE 1827 Chrysopelea paradisi paradisi — MERTENS 1968 Chrysopelea ornata — BOIE 1827 (nec Coluber ornatus SHAW 1802) Dendrophis ornata (partim) — SCHLEGEL 1837 Leptophis ornatus var. (partim) — CANTOR 1847 Chrysopelea paradisi — SMITH 1943 Chrysopelea paradisi — MANTHEY & GROSSMANN 1997: 333 Chrysopelea paradisi — COX et al. 1998: 67 Chrysopelea paradisi paradisi — CHAN-ARD et al. 1999: 161 Chrysopelea paradisi — WALLACH et al. 2014: 168 Chrysopelea paradise — JANIAWATI et al. 2016 (in error) Chrysopelea paradisi celebensis MERTENS 1968 Chrysopelea paradisi celebensis MERTENS 1968: 206 Chrysopelea paradisi celebensis — DE LANG & VOGEL 2005 Chrysopelea paradisi celebensis — ISKANDAR & ERDELEN 2006 Chrysopelea paradisi celebensis — WANGER et al. 2011 Chrysopelea paradisi celebensis — KOCH 2012: 268 Chrysopelea paradisi variabilis MERTENS 1968 Chrysopelea paradisi variabilis MERTENS 1968: 204 Chrysopelea paradisi variabilis —GAULKE 2012 Chrysopelea paradisi variabilis —GAULKE 2019: 49 Chrysopelea paradisi variabilis — MAGLANGIT et al. 2021
This species was considered a synonym of Chrysopelea ornata (Shaw, 1802) by Schlegel (1837: 235). Most subsequent authors followed him, until Smith (1943: 254) showed that these taxa were distinct species. Behavior: this is a species that can “glide”. See URL to The Scientist. 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
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.