Colubridae · Philippine record
Oligodon ancorus(GIRARD 1858)
Oligodon ancorus is a Colubridae snake included in the Philippine checklist. Its atlas account links 2 named island or island-group records to the source literature.
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
Explore the island records ↓Species portrait
Oligodon ancorus
Image to followThe illustrated collection
Adult · study plate
Oligodon ancorus
Image to followJuvenile · study plate
Oligodon ancorus
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 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 Oligodon ancorus from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Mindoro. 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.
Oligodon ancorus is retained in the atlas’s dated checklist under Colubridae. The authority is (GIRARD 1858). 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
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, Mindoro); Type locality: “Manila, Luzon Island” Type locality: not given in the original description, subsequently specified as “Manila, Luzon Island” (Girard 1858) rhombifer: Indonesia (endemic to Sumatra); Type locality: Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia
The atlas records Oligodon ancorus from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Mindoro. 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.
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, Mindoro); Type locality: “Manila, Luzon Island” Type locality: not given in the original description, subsequently specified as “Manila, Luzon Island” (Girard 1858) rhombifer: Indonesia (endemic to Sumatra); Type locality: Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia
Names through time
Xenodon ancorus GIRARD 1858: 182 Simotes purpurascens — GÜNTHER 1858: 25 (part.) Simotes phaenochalinus COPE 1860: 244 Simotes aphanospilus COPE 1860: 245 Simotes ancoralis — JAN 1865 Holarchus phaenochalinus GRIFFIN 1911:259 Holarchus ancorus — TAYLOR 1918 Holarchus burksi TAYLOR 1918: 365 Holarchus ancorus — TAYLOR 1922: 140 Holarchus burksi — TAYLOR 1922: 145 Oligodon rhombifer WERNER 1924: 36 Rhynchocalamus phaenochalinus Oligodon ancorus — LEVITON 1963: 463 Oligodon rhombifer — INGER & VORIS 2001 Oligodon rhombifer — TILLACK 2008 Oligodon ancorus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 493
Synonymy partly after Leviton, Systematics and Zoogeography of Philippine Snakes, Diss. 1959, and LEVITON 1963. Oligodon rhombifer has been synonymized with O. ancorus by TILLACK 2008. However, TILLACK & GÜNTHER 2010 say that ancorus is not found on Sumatra.
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.