Homalopsidae · Philippine record
Cerberus schneiderii(SCHLEGEL 1837)
The diagnosis usually gives 23 midbody scale rows, occasionally 25, together with a mottled underside and thin, overlapping head plates. These help separate it from the Lake Buhi form. Its atlas account links 7 named island or island-group records to the source literature.
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
Explore the island records ↓Species portrait
Cerberus schneiderii
Image to followThe illustrated collection
Adult · study plate
Cerberus schneiderii
Image to followJuvenile · study plate
Cerberus schneiderii
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 diagnosis usually gives 23 midbody scale rows, occasionally 25, together with a mottled underside and thin, overlapping head plates. These help separate it from the Lake Buhi form.
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.
Fish are listed as prey. The consulted account does not provide Philippine prey proportions or differences between life stages.
Literature documented · Comment: Diet
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 live-bearing reproduction, using the term ovoviviparous. A verified Philippine litter-size range and reproductive 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 Cerberus schneiderii from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Palawan, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Catanduanes, Dinagat. 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.
Cerberus schneiderii is retained in the atlas’s dated checklist under Homalopsidae. The authority is (SCHLEGEL 1837). 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.
coastal areas of Thailand, Malaysia, Gulf of Thailand, Cambodia, S Vietnam, Indonesia (Ambon, Waingapu, Sumba Island, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Komodo, Natuna islands, Sulawesi, Borneo etc.), Philippines (Jagoliaou I., Bohol Province, Palawan, Luzon, Cebu, Dinagat Island, Negros, Catanduanes), Singapore Type locality: Timor.
The atlas records Cerberus schneiderii from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Palawan, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Catanduanes, Dinagat. 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 ↗
Cerberus schneiderii — 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.
coastal areas of Thailand, Malaysia, Gulf of Thailand, Cambodia, S Vietnam, Indonesia (Ambon, Waingapu, Sumba Island, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Komodo, Natuna islands, Sulawesi, Borneo etc.), Philippines (Jagoliaou I., Bohol Province, Palawan, Luzon, Cebu, Dinagat Island, Negros, Catanduanes), Singapore Type locality: Timor.
Names through time
Elaps boaeformis SCHNEIDER 1801: 301 Hurria schneideriana DAUDIN 1803 (nom. subst. pro Elaps boaeformis) Coluber schneiderianus — DAUDIN 1803 Homalopsis molurus H. BOIE 1826 Python boaeformis — MERREM 1820: 89 Cerberus Russelii CUVIER 1828 [fide DUMÉRIL et al. 1854: 979] Homalopsis schneideri SCHLEGEL 1837: 171 (nom. nov. pro Coluber schneideriana DAUDIN [not Coluber schneiderii, as stated by SCHLEGEL]) Homalopsis schneideri — SCHLEGEL & MÜLLER Homalopsis rhinchops (sic) — CANTOR 1847 Cerberus acutus GRAY 1849:65 Cerberus boaeformis — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854: 978 Homalopsis boaeformis — JAN 1863 Cerberus boaeformis — BLEEKER 1857:238 Cerberus rhynchops — GÜNTHER 1864: 279 Homalopsis boaeformis — MÜLLER 1880 Cerberus rhynchops [sic]— BOULENGER 1894: 84 Hurria rynchops — STEJNEGER 1907: 304 Cerberus schneiderii — MURPHY et al. 2012 Cerberus schneideri — BROWN et al. 2013 Cerberus schneiderii — MURPHY & VORIS 2014: 13 Cerberus schneiderii — WALLACH et al. 2014: 155
Synonymy: partly after MURPHY et al. 2012 (see there for more details). There are three names that could possibly become senior synonyms of Cerberus schneiderii: Elaps boaeformis Schneider 1801, Boa moluroides Schneider 1801 and Coluber obtusatus Reinwardt 1823. The first two names have published descriptions, with no collector or type locality given, the holotype of Elaps boaeformis is said to be in the University of Halle Museum (now the Central Magazine Naturwissenschaftlicher collection or CNS). And, the specimen of Boa moluroides was reportedly in the collection of the University of Jena’s museum (now the Phyletic Museum). Distribution: see map in MURPHY et al. 2012, Figure 1. May have been erroneously reported from Borneo, but not present there fide I. Das (pers. comm. 17 March 2013, Stuebing et al. 2014). Diet: fish
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.