Venom: Rear-fanged venomous snake. Venom-gland transcriptomics directly document three-finger toxin genes in this species. Gene detection alone does not establish a particular human clinical effect.
Abstract; genus-wide venom ecology and sampled species
Venom effects and medical significance are different from toxicity rankings. Do not handle a snake on the basis of this summary.
Forages in forest understorey, including secondary and selectively logged forest at Mount Cagua. Its atlas account links 9 named island or island-group records to the source literature.
OccurrenceConfirmed
Islands named9
Natural history5 sourced topics
References5
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
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 Boiga cynodon from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Palawan, Mindanao, Leyte, Panay, Basilan, Polillo, Dinagat, Sulu. 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
Boiga cynodon 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
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
9 named islands / island groups
Select an island to read its distribution record and sources. Uncoloured islands are not evidence of absence.
Distribution record & sources
Indonesia (Bali, Bangka, Belitung, Borneo, Flores, Java, Kalimantan, Mentawai Archipelago, Nias, Riau Archipelago, Sumatra, Sumbawa, Komodo);
Malaysia (Malaya and East Malaysia); Pulau Tioman,
Philippines (Basilan, Culion, Dinagat, Leyte, Luzon, Mindanao, Palawan, Polillo, Sibutu, Panay); Sulu Archipelago,
Singapore, Myanmar (= Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, Laos
Type locality: Sumatra
The atlas records Boiga cynodon from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Palawan, Mindanao, Leyte, Panay, Basilan, Polillo, Dinagat, Sulu. These are literature areas rather than a continuous range boundary.
Venomous · rear-fanged · 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.
Distribution: Reports of B. cynodon from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam are often based on misidentified B. ocellata (TILLACK et al. 2004). Not in India fide I. Das (pers. comm., 22 Dec 2011). Possibly in Bhutan (Lenz 2012). Not in India fide Mohapatra et al. 2024 (ZSI checklist). Not in Bangladesh fide Al Haidar et al. 2025.
Habitat: fully arboreal (Harrington et al. 2018).
References attached to this record
2026
The Reptile Database — species checklist, 17 June 2026
The amphibians and reptiles of Luzon Island, Philippines, VIII: the herpetofauna of Cagayan and Isabela Provinces, northern Sierra Madre Mountain Range
Brown, R. M.; Siler, C. D.; Oliveros, C. H.; Welton, L. J.; Rock, A.; Swab, J.; Van Weerd, M.; Van Beijnen, J.; Jose, E.; Rodriguez, D.; Jose, E.; Diesmos, A. C.
Explicit genus-wide venom ecology; directly samples B. cynodon and B. dendrophila. Species-specific toxin activity is not extrapolated across the genus.
Boiga cynodon — 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.