Colubridae · Global account with Philippine editorial coverage
Gonyosoma oxycephalum(BOIE, 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 10 named island or island-group records to the source literature.
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
Explore the island records ↓Species portrait
Gonyosoma oxycephalum
Image to followThe illustrated collection
Adult · study plate
Gonyosoma oxycephalum
Image to followJuvenile · study plate
Gonyosoma oxycephalum
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
Countries and territories named in the checked sources. Island links and country lists use these same occurrence records; a country record does not imply presence on every island.
Indonesia supported by Bangka; Belitung; Mentawai; Nias; Sumatra, Java; Bali, Kalimantan, Lombok.
Region guides: SumatraJava & BaliKalimantanLesser Sundas
Checked 7 October 2026. Listed, introduced and uncertain records remain distinct. Islands not yet indexed are not claims of absence. Broad references such as “Borneo” or “New Guinea” are not automatically assigned to every country sharing the island.
Explicit Indonesian country or island locality supports inclusion.
A closer look
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 Gonyosoma oxycephalum from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Palawan, Panay, Negros, Bohol, Lubang, Dinagat, Sulu, Camiguin Sur, Balabac. 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.
Gonyosoma oxycephalum 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.
Indonesia (Bangka, Belitung, Java, Bali, Kalimantan, Borneo, Karimata, Legundi, Lombok, Mentawai Archipelago, Natuna Archipelago, Nias, Panaitan, Riau Archipelago, Sebuku, Sumatra, Tambelan Archipelago), Malaysia (Malaya and East Malaysia, Pulau Tioman), Singapore Island, Penang Island, India (Andaman Islands), Myanmar (= Burma), Thailand (incl. Phuket), Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines (Balabac, Bohol, Lubang, Luzon, Negros, Palawan, Sulu Archipelago, Panay, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Island, Camiguin Sur) Type locality: Indonesia: Java (Boie, 1827)
The atlas records Gonyosoma oxycephalum from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Palawan, Panay, Negros, Bohol, Lubang, Dinagat, Sulu, Camiguin Sur, Balabac. 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 ↗
Gonyosoma oxycephalum — 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.
Indonesia (Bangka, Belitung, Java, Bali, Kalimantan, Borneo, Karimata, Legundi, Lombok, Mentawai Archipelago, Natuna Archipelago, Nias, Panaitan, Riau Archipelago, Sebuku, Sumatra, Tambelan Archipelago), Malaysia (Malaya and East Malaysia, Pulau Tioman), Singapore Island, Penang Island, India (Andaman Islands), Myanmar (= Burma), Thailand (incl. Phuket), Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines (Balabac, Bohol, Lubang, Luzon, Negros, Palawan, Sulu Archipelago, Panay, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Island, Camiguin Sur) Type locality: Indonesia: Java (Boie, 1827)
Names through time
Coluber oxycephalus BOIE 1827: 537 Gonyosoma viride WAGLER 1828 Herpetodryas oxycephalus — SCHLEGEL 1837: 152 Alopecophis chalybeus GRAY 1849: 247 Gonyosoma oxycephalus — BLEEKER 1857 Aepidea robusta HALLOWELL 1861: 488 Gonyosoma oxycephalum — STOLICZKA 1870: 193 Coluber oxycephalus — BOULENGER 1890 Coluber oxycephalus — BOULENGER 1894: 56 Elaphe oxycephala — GRIFFIN 1909 Gonyosoma oxycephala — BARBOUR 1912 Gonyosoma oxycephalum — TAYLOR 1922: 152 Coluber deroyi WERNER 1923 (fide GEMEL et al. 2019) Coluber floweri WERNER 1925 (fide SMITH 1928) Elaphe oxycephala oxycephala — SACKETT 1940 Elaphe oxycephala — SMITH 1943: 144 Coluber jansenii (nec Gonyosoma jansenii BLEEKER 1858) — ROBINSON & KLOSS 1920 Gonyosoma oxycephalum — DOWLING 1958 Gonyosoma oxycephalum — TAYLOR 1965: 714 Gonyosoma oxycephalum — TRUTNAU 1986 Elaphe oxycephala — SCHULZ 1996: 179 Gonyosoma oxycephalum — MANTHEY & GROSSMANN 1997: 355 Gonyosoma oxycephalum — COX et al. 1998: 53 Gonyosoma oxycephala — GAULKE 2001: 32 Gonyosoma oxycephala — FERNER et al. 2001 Elaphe oxycephala — SHARMA 2004 Gonyosoma oxycephala — BURBRINK & LAWSON 2007 (in error) Gonyosoma oxycephalum — GAULKE 2011: 281 Gonyosoma oxycephalum — WALLACH et al. et al. 2014: 315 Gonyosoma oxycephalum — CHEN et al. 2014 Gonyosoma floweri — CHAN-ARD et al. 2015: 169 Gonyosoma oxycephalum — WALLACH et al. 2024
Distribution: Has been reported from the Nicobar Islands but is not listed by DAS 1999 for the Nicobar Islands. The report from Pulau Tioman remains unconfirmed (fide HIEN et al. 2001). Type species: Gonyosoma viride WAGLER 1828 (= Gonyosoma oxycephalum) is the type species of the genus Gonyosoma WAGLER 1828. Synonymy: Wallach et al. 2024 split Gonyosoma into 5 genera (Gonyosoma, Gonyophis, Rhynchophis, Rhadinophis, Verdigrophis) without providing a new phylogenetic analysis (no study has included all species previously). A discussion among snake taxonomists, including several members of the Reptile Database Scientific Advisory Board thought that this split is unnecessary and does not yield enough insight to justify a split of Gonyosoma. Poyarkov et al. 2025 also reject the new genera. Variation: Gonyosoma (Coluber) floweri is a brown color morph of G. oxycephalum. The Gonyosoma floweri illustrated in CHAN-ARD et al. 2015: 190 is actually Orthriophis taeniurus ridleyi (PAUWELS & GRISMER 2015). 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.