Homalopsidae · Global account with Philippine editorial coverage
Crab-eating (Water) Snake
Fordonia leucobalia(SCHLEGEL, 1837)
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
A crab-eating water snake with feeding behaviour adapted to hard-shelled prey. Singapore observations provide a comparative account of how it handles crabs.
OccurrenceConfirmed
Islands named1
Natural history5 sourced topics
References4
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
Literature documented · p. 143, feeding experiments
Twelve captive animals.
Experimental behaviour does not establish Philippine diet proportions.
Reproduction
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 · 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
Fordonia leucobalia 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
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
1 named island / island group
Select an island to read its distribution record and sources. Uncoloured islands are not evidence of absence.
Distribution record & sources
Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia)
Bangladesh;
India (Bengal);
Indonesia (Borneo, Irian Jaya, Seram = Ceram, Sumatra, Java; Timor, Ambon); Timor-Leste,
Malaysia (Malaya and East Malaysia);
Myanmar (Burma),
Papua New Guinea
Philippines (Mindanao);
Singapore;
Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam
Type locality: Timor (Indonesia)
The atlas records Fordonia leucobalia from these named Philippine areas: Mindanao. These are literature areas rather than a continuous range boundary.
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.
2018 Philippine synopsis treatment plus current RDB listing
Islands named
Mindanao
Range noteCountry/island text is not a range polygon or locality record.
Source distribution statement
Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia)
Bangladesh;
India (Bengal);
Indonesia (Borneo, Irian Jaya, Seram = Ceram, Sumatra, Java; Timor, Ambon); Timor-Leste,
Malaysia (Malaya and East Malaysia);
Myanmar (Burma),
Papua New Guinea
Philippines (Mindanao);
Singapore;
Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam
Type locality: Timor (Indonesia)
Knowledge coverage
EndemismResearch pending
EcologyLiterature documented
VenomVenom classification not yet added Effects not yet summarised in this atlasDetailed research: Research pending
Synonymy after COGGER 1983. Has been reported from the Nicobar Islands but is not listed by DAS 1999 for the Nicobar Islands.
Habitat: at least partially coastal and thus considered (partially) “marine”.
Diet: crustaceans
Type species: Homalopsis leucobalia SCHLEGEL 1837 is the type species of the genus Fordonia GRAY 1842.
Reference images: see Uetz et al. 2024 for high-resolution reference images for this species.
References attached to this record
2026
The Reptile Database — species checklist, 17 June 2026
Fordonia leucobalia — 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.