Colubridae · Philippine record
Liopeltis tricolor(SCHLEGEL 1837)
Liopeltis tricolor is a Colubridae snake included in the Philippine checklist. Its atlas account links 1 named island or island-group record to the source literature.
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
Explore the island records ↓Species portrait
Liopeltis tricolor
Image to followThe illustrated collection
Adult · study plate
Liopeltis tricolor
Image to followJuvenile · study plate
Liopeltis tricolor
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 database flags confusion with other Liopeltis and a separate species on Tioman. Historical records under a broad tricolor concept need careful locality checks.
Literature documented · Comment: similar species
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 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 Liopeltis tricolor from these named Philippine areas: Palawan. 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.
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.
Indonesia (Bangka, Java, Nias, Riau Archipelago, Sumatra, Pulau We, Borneo); Brunei Darussalam; Malaysia (Malaya and East Malaysia); Philippines (including Bubuan,Palawan); Singapore; Thailand, Vietnam Type locality: Java, Indonesia
The atlas records Liopeltis tricolor from these named Philippine areas: Palawan. 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.
Indonesia (Bangka, Java, Nias, Riau Archipelago, Sumatra, Pulau We, Borneo); Brunei Darussalam; Malaysia (Malaya and East Malaysia); Philippines (including Bubuan,Palawan); Singapore; Thailand, Vietnam Type locality: Java, Indonesia
Names through time
Herpetodryas tricolor SCHLEGEL 1837: 187 Liopeltis tricolor — FITZINGER 1843 Cyclophis tricolor — GÜNTHER 1858 Ablabes baliodeiroides — BLEEKER 1858 Phragmitophis tricolor — GÜNTHER 1862: 126 Cyclophis tricolor — STOLICZKA 1873: 122 Ablabes tricolor — BOULENGER 1890 Gongylosoma tricolor — SWORDER 1922 Ablabes tricolor — LIDTH DE JEUDE 1922: 246 Liopeltis tricolor — TAYLOR 1922: 162 Liopeltis tricolor — HENDRICKSON 1966: 67 Liopeltis tricolor — MANTHEY & GROSSMANN 1997: 360 Liopeltis tricolor — COX et al. 1998: 56 Liopeltis tricolor — NGUYEN et al. 2009 Liopeltis tricolor — WALLACH et al. 2014: 386 Liopeltis tricolor — MIRZA et al. 2024
Type species: Herpetodryas tricolor SCHLEGEL 1837: 187 is the type species of the genus Liopeltis FITZINGER 1843. Key: Poyarkov et al. 2019 provide a key to the species of Liopeltis. Illustration: in CHAN-ARD et al. 2015, although the drawings of Gongylosoma longicauda and Liopeltis tricolor have been mixed up (fide PAUWELS & GRISMER 2015). Similar species: records from Vietnam may be based on a misidentification of L. stoliczkae or another species (Hauser 2018). Similar species: L. tiomanica; the population from Pulau Tioman has been redescribed as L. tiomanica by Som et al. 2020.
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.