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Gerrhopilidae · Philippine record

Negros Island Worm Snake

Gerrhopilus hedraeus(SAVAGE 1950)

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 original diagnosis describes a rounded snout, 18 scale rows around the body and absence of subocular scales. These small-scale characters require specialist examination. Its atlas account links 6 named island or island-group records to the source literature.

OccurrenceConfirmed
Islands named6
Natural history4 sourced topics
References3

Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending

Explore the island records ↓

Species portrait

Gerrhopilus hedraeus

Image to follow
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The illustrated collection

Adult & juvenile

Adult · study plate

Gerrhopilus hedraeus

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Juvenile · study plate

Gerrhopilus hedraeus

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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

Appearance & identification

The original diagnosis describes a rounded snout, 18 scale rows around the body and absence of subocular scales. These small-scale characters require specialist examination.

Evidence & scope

Literature documented · Diagnosis

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 Gerrhopilus hedraeus from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Mindoro, Mindanao, Negros, Cebu, Bohol. 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

Gerrhopilus hedraeus is retained in the atlas’s dated checklist under Gerrhopilidae. The authority is (SAVAGE 1950). 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
Gerrhopilus hedraeus — all named islandsLuzonMindoroMindanaoNegrosCebuBohol

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 (including Mindanao, Cebu, Camotes, Negros, Luzon, Bohol and Mindoro Islands). Type locality: “1500 ft. above Luzuriaga, ca. 6 miles southwest of Dumaguete, Oriental Negros, Philippines.”

The atlas records Gerrhopilus hedraeus from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Mindoro, Mindanao, Negros, Cebu, Bohol. 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 ↗

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

Gerrhopilus hedraeus — 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
Gerrhopilus hedraeus
Common names
Negros Island Worm Snake
Authority
(SAVAGE 1950)
Year described
1950
Taxonomic status
Accepted species
Family
Gerrhopilidae
Genus
Gerrhopilus
Species epithet
hedraeus
Persistent ID
PH-SERP-4D4C916DC3
Checklist checked
2026-09-05

Philippine occurrence

Status
Present
Confidence
Confirmed
Basis
2018 Philippine synopsis treatment plus current RDB listing
Islands named
Luzon, Mindoro, Mindanao, Negros, Cebu, Bohol

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

Source distribution statement

Philippines (including Mindanao, Cebu, Camotes, Negros, Luzon, Bohol and Mindoro Islands). Type locality: “1500 ft. above Luzuriaga, ca. 6 miles southwest of Dumaguete, Oriental Negros, Philippines.”

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

Typhlops hedraea SAVAGE 1950: 49 Typhlops hedraeus — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 104 Gerrhopilus hedraeus — VIDAL et al. 2010 Gerrhopilus carolinehoserae HOSER 2012 Gerrhopilus hedraeus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 308

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.

Gerrhopilus hedraeus — 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 ↗