Colubridae · Philippine record
Lycodon tessellatusJAN 1863
Lycodon tessellatus is a Colubridae snake included in the Philippine checklist. 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
Lycodon tessellatus
Image to followThe illustrated collection
Adult · study plate
Lycodon tessellatus
Image to followJuvenile · study plate
Lycodon tessellatus
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
The 2018 synopsis tentatively included this name in L. capucinus, whereas the current database retains it pending formal resolution. Its separate page preserves that disagreement rather than asserting a settled species boundary.
Literature documented · Comment: taxonomic status
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 atlas records Lycodon tessellatus 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.
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: Manila, Luzon.
The atlas records Lycodon tessellatus 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 ↗
Lycodon tessellatus — 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.
Philippines (Luzon) Type locality: Manila, Luzon.
Names through time
Lycodon tessellatus JAN 1863: 96 Lycodon tessellatus — BOULENGER 1893: 351 Ophites tesselatus — GRIFFIN 1911: 258 Ophites tessellatus — TAYLOR 1922: 124 Lycodon tessellatus — LANZA 1999 Lycodon tessellatus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 397
Synonymy: after LEVITON 1965. Leviton et al. (2018) in a brief comment synonymised L. tessellatus within L. capucinus "with a degree of hesitancy". The status of tessellatus has not been resolved formally, so we leave it as is for now. Most recently, Ota (2000:299–304) reexamined the type specimen and provided new data that led him to suggest that “It is thus probable that L. tessellatus is most closely related to L. aulicus [= L. capucinus in the Philippines]. However, it differs in having three series of prominent alternating black spots on the dorsum, at least in the anterior part of the body. Abundance: known only from the type specimen from Manila.
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.