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Typhlopidae · Philippine record

Red Worm Snake

Malayotyphlops ruber(BOETTGER 1897)

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

Malayotyphlops ruber is a Typhlopidae snake included in the Philippine checklist. Its atlas account links 1 named island or island-group record to the source literature.

OccurrenceConfirmed
Islands named1
Natural history3 sourced topics
References3

Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending

Explore the island records ↓

Species portrait

Malayotyphlops ruber

Image to follow
Reserved for a contributor imageCredit and usage rights will accompany the image.

The illustrated collection

Adult & juvenile

Adult · study plate

Malayotyphlops ruber

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Juvenile · study plate

Malayotyphlops ruber

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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 database records a 2024 expert comment suggesting that material from Mindoro and Cebu represents another species. Those historical island assignments remain a question for specimen review.

Evidence & scope

Literature documented · Comment: distribution; R. Brown (2024)

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 Malayotyphlops ruber from these named Philippine areas: Samar. 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
Malayotyphlops ruber — all named islandsSamar

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

Philippines (Samar) Type locality: Insel Samar.

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 ↗

Malayotyphlops ruber — The Reptile Database species account ↗

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
Malayotyphlops ruber
Common names
Red Worm Snake
Authority
(BOETTGER 1897)
Year described
1897
Taxonomic status
Accepted species
Family
Typhlopidae
Subfamily
Asiatyphlopinae
Genus
Malayotyphlops
Species epithet
ruber
Persistent ID
PH-SERP-C582B3C7DA
Checklist checked
2026-09-05

Philippine occurrence

Status
Present
Confidence
Confirmed
Basis
2018 Philippine synopsis treatment plus current RDB listing
Islands named
Samar

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

Source distribution statement

Philippines (Samar) Type locality: Insel Samar.

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

Typhlops ruber BOETTGER 1897: 164 Typhlops ruber — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 118 Typhlops ruber — WALLACH et al. 2014: 770 Malayotyphlops ruber — HEDGES et al. 2014 Malayotyphlops ruber — WYNN et al. 2016

Taxonomic and source notes

Distribution: Records from Mindoro and Cebu are probably a different species, fide Rafe Brown, pers. comm., 31 Oct 2024).

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.

Malayotyphlops ruber — 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 ↗