Venom effects and medical significance are different from toxicity rankings. Do not handle a snake on the basis of this summary.
The Samar cobra is a spitting cobra whose venom is dominated by neurotoxins. Research on southern Philippine specimens provides a detailed picture of its venom chemistry.
OccurrenceConfirmed
Islands named6
Natural history4 sourced topics
References4
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
Reserved for a contributor imageCredit and usage rights will accompany the image.
The illustrated collection
Adult & juvenile
Adult · study plate
Naja samarensis
Image to follow
Reserved for a contributor imageCredit and usage rights will accompany the image.
Juvenile · study plate
Naja samarensis
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.
Contributor images are forthcoming. Photographs and illustrations will retain their individual credits, permissions and evidence notes.
A closer look
Natural history & identification
Venom research
Short-chain alpha-neurotoxins dominate the sampled venom. These toxins disrupt nerve-to-muscle signalling; envenoming can compromise breathing. Laboratory neutralisation results must be kept separate from clinical treatment decisions.
Venom composition · 2021 study
Chromatography and mass spectrometry of pooled venom, with experimental toxin neutralisation.
Antivenom findings
Philippine Cobra Antivenom weakly cross-neutralised the isolated short-chain alpha-neurotoxins in mice.
Clinical interpretation Preclinical evidence, not a patient trial, dosing guide or assurance of clinical effectiveness.
Relative protein abundance. Short-chain alpha-neurotoxins are part of the three-finger toxin total, not an additional percentage.
Literature documented · Abstract; Venom and Antivenoms; venom proteome results
Southern Philippines; pooled venom from five adults.
Reproduction
The species account records egg-laying reproduction. A verified Philippine clutch-size range, incubation interval and breeding calendar are not established here.
Reproductive mode reported for this named species.
Mode alone does not establish litter or clutch size, seasonal timing, or captive husbandry requirements.
Philippine distribution
The atlas records Naja samarensis from these named Philippine areas: Mindanao, Samar, Leyte, Bohol, Dinagat, Camiguin Sur. 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.
Taxonomic context
Naja samarensis is retained in the atlas’s dated checklist under Elapidae. The authority is PETERS 1861. 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
6 named islands / island groups
Select an island to read its distribution record and sources. Uncoloured islands are not evidence of absence.
Distribution record & sources
Philippines (Bohol, Camiguin Sur, Dinagat, Leyte, Mindanao: Agusan del Norte, Bukidnon, Davao del Sur, Lanao, Misamis Occidental, South Cotabato, Zamboanga City; Samar)
Type locality: “Loquilocun, Insel Samar” [Naja tripudians var. samarensis PETERS 1861]
The atlas records Naja samarensis from these named Philippine areas: Mindanao, Samar, Leyte, Bohol, Dinagat, Camiguin Sur. These are literature areas rather than a continuous range boundary.
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.
Snake Venom Proteomics of Samar Cobra (Naja samarensis) from the Southern Philippines: Short Alpha-Neurotoxins as the Dominant Lethal Component Weakly Cross-Neutralized by the Philippine Cobra Antivenom
Palasuberniam, P.; Chan, Y. W.; Tan, K. Y.; Tan, C. H.
Naja samarensis — 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.