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Colubridae · Philippine record

Taylor's Burrowing Snake

Pseudorabdion tayloriLEVITON & BROWN 1959

Length
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 small diagnostic sample has a loreal and supraocular but lacks a separate preocular. More than 30 subcaudals were reported; these characters are not a complete identification key. Its atlas account links 1 named island or island-group record to the source literature.

OccurrenceConfirmed
Islands named1
Natural history5 sourced topics
References3

Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending

Explore the island records ↓

Species portrait

Pseudorabdion taylori

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The illustrated collection

Adult & juvenile

Adult · study plate

Pseudorabdion taylori

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Juvenile · study plate

Pseudorabdion taylori

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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

Historical conservation assessment · 2016

Data Deficient in the 2016 IUCN status reproduced in the 2018 Philippine synopsis. This is a historical assessment, not a verified current Red List category.

Evidence & scope

Historical assessment · p. 428, species account, Conservation status [IUCN]

2018 synthesis; assessment labelled [2016], IUCN version 3.1.

A current assessment and its taxonomic scope still need checking.

Appearance & identification

The small diagnostic sample has a loreal and supraocular but lacks a separate preocular. More than 30 subcaudals were reported; these characters are not a complete identification key.

Evidence & scope

Literature documented · Diagnosis (n=3)

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.

Evidence & scope

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.

Philippine distribution

The atlas records Pseudorabdion taylori from these named Philippine areas: Mindanao. These are literature areas rather than a continuous range boundary.

Evidence & scope

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

Pseudorabdion taylori is retained in the atlas’s dated checklist under Colubridae. The authority is LEVITON & BROWN 1959. Earlier names and the original source notes are preserved below for comparison.

Evidence & scope

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

Philippines
Pseudorabdion taylori — all named islandsMindanao

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

Philippines (Mindanao) Type locality: “Saub, Cotabato Province, Mindanao Island.”

References attached to this species account. Island-specific evidence is shown separately where available.

The Reptile Database — species checklist, 17 June 2026 ↗

Synopsis of the Snakes of the Philippines: A Synthesis of Data from Biodiversity Repositories, Field Studies, and the Literature ↗

Pseudorabdion taylori — The Reptile Database species account ↗

Living with wildlife

Give this snake space.

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 aid

Species record

Taxonomy, occurrence & evidence.

Identity

Accepted name
Pseudorabdion taylori
Common names
Taylor's Burrowing Snake
Authority
LEVITON & BROWN 1959
Year described
1959
Taxonomic status
Accepted species
Family
Colubridae
Genus
Pseudorabdion
Species epithet
taylori
Persistent ID
PH-SERP-1E7B84D843
Checklist checked
2026-09-05

Philippine occurrence

Status
Present
Confidence
Confirmed
Basis
2018 Philippine synopsis treatment plus current RDB listing
Islands named
Mindanao

Range noteCountry/island text is not a range polygon or locality record.

Source distribution statement

Philippines (Mindanao) Type locality: “Saub, Cotabato Province, Mindanao Island.”

Knowledge coverage

EndemismResearch pending
EcologyResearch pending
VenomVenom classification not yet added
Effects not yet summarised in this atlas
Detailed research: Research pending
ConservationResearch pending

Names through time

Nomenclatural trail

Pseudorabdion taylori LEVITON & BROWN 1959: 502 Pseudorabdion taylori — BROWN, LEVITON & SISON 1999 Pseudorabdion taylori — DORIA & PETRI 2010 Pseudorabdion taylori — WALLACH et al. 2014: 608

References attached to this record

2026

The Reptile Database — species checklist, 17 June 2026

Uetz, P.; Freed, P.; Aguilar, R.; Reyes, F.; Kudera, J.; Hošek, J. (eds.)

Open source ↗
2018

Synopsis of the Snakes of the Philippines: A Synthesis of Data from Biodiversity Repositories, Field Studies, and the Literature

Leviton, A. E.; Siler, C. D.; Weinell, J. L.; Brown, R. M.

Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 64(14): 399–568

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.11512589

Open source ↗
n.d.

Pseudorabdion taylori — 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.

Open source ↗