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Colubridae · Philippine record

Ota's Wolf Snake

Lycodon biboniusOTA & ROSS 1994

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 described material has 22–25 pale bands on the body and 16–21 on the tail. Scale characters, including the unequal preoculars, accompany the colour-pattern diagnosis. Its atlas account links 2 named island or island-group records to the source literature.

OccurrenceConfirmed
Islands named2
Natural history4 sourced topics
References4

Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending

Explore the island records ↓

Species portrait

Lycodon bibonius

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The illustrated collection

Adult & juvenile

Adult · study plate

Lycodon bibonius

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Juvenile · study plate

Lycodon bibonius

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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

Taxonomic context

The 2026 revision uses Stegonotus bibonius. This page retains the earlier checklist name and address for continuity.

Evidence & scope

Literature documented · Section 4.3, pp. 13–14

Nomenclatural update; the original checklist and records remain separate.

Biological records are not reassigned between species by a change of genus alone.

Appearance & identification

The described material has 22–25 pale bands on the body and 16–21 on the tail. Scale characters, including the unequal preoculars, accompany the colour-pattern diagnosis.

Evidence & scope

Literature documented · Diagnosis; Ota & Ross (1994)

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 Lycodon bibonius from these named Philippine areas: Babuyan, Camiguin Norte. 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.

Across the archipelago

Where this species is recorded

Philippines
Lycodon bibonius — all named islandsCamiguin Norte

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

2 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 (Camiguin Island) Type locality: Camiguin Island (18°55'N, 121°55'E), Babuyan Island Group; ca. 1.5 km E of Mambit, elevation 70 m.

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 ↗

Lycodon bibonius — The Reptile Database species account ↗

Diversification and Colonisation in the Indo-Australian Archipelago: Genomic Insights From Colubrid Snakes ↗

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
Lycodon bibonius
Common names
Ota's Wolf Snake
Authority
OTA & ROSS 1994
Year described
1994
Taxonomic status
Accepted species
Family
Colubridae
Genus
Lycodon
Species epithet
bibonius
Persistent ID
PH-SERP-A834EB5E9E
Checklist checked
2026-09-05

Philippine occurrence

Status
Present
Confidence
Confirmed
Basis
2018 Philippine synopsis treatment plus current RDB listing
Islands named
Babuyan, Camiguin Norte

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

Source distribution statement

Philippines (Camiguin Island) Type locality: Camiguin Island (18°55'N, 121°55'E), Babuyan Island Group; ca. 1.5 km E of Mambit, elevation 70 m.

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

Lycodon bibonius OTA & ROSS 1994: 162 Lycodon bibonius — WALLACH et al. 2014: 391 Lycodon bibonius — LEVITON et al. 2018

Taxonomic and source notes

Lycodon bibonius is distinct from other Lycodon species in the Philippines in having 22-25 and 16-21 pale bands on the body and tail, respectively

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.

Lycodon bibonius — 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 ↗
2026

Diversification and Colonisation in the Indo-Australian Archipelago: Genomic Insights From Colubrid Snakes

Bernstein, J. M. et al.

DOI: 10.1111/jbi.70202

Section 4.3, pp. 13–14. Current names are annotated without merging or reassigning historical atlas records.

Open source ↗