First distribution record of North Philippine Temple Pitviper (Tropidolaemus subannulatus Gray, 1842) on Cebu Island, Philippines

Issue Date

9-2020

Abstract

This paper presents the newly documented single specimen of the North Philippine temple pitviper (Tropidolaemus subannulatus), one of the venomous endemic snakes of the Philippines. The species has never been recorded in Cebu Island in the last two waves of survey in 1986 and 2016. The new record for Cebu Island on 13 Apr 2018 was a male juvenile T. subannulatus in a diverse forest over limestone in Mount Lantoy key biodiversity area (KBA), with an elevation of 648 m having geographic coordinates of 9.91395ºN and 123.51207ºE in Barangay Cansuje, Argao, Cebu, Philippines. The specimen was recorded in the permanent vegetation plot no. 1, established within the secondary natural forest, perching on the vines (Piper sp.). Some tree species found within the collection area were the following: Garcinia rubra, Ficus ampelas, Canarium asperum, Calophyllum blancoi, Gomphandra luzoniensis, and Goniothalamus almeri. The distance of occurrence from the ground is approximately 3 m. It seemed that the microhabitat characteristics of Mt. Lantoy KBA, particularly the forest over limestone in Barangay Cansuje, is favoring the survival of T. subannulatus.

Source or Periodical Title

Philippine Journal of Science

ISSN

0031-7683

Volume

149

Issue

3

Page

669-673

Document Type

Article

Physical Description

illustrations; maps; references

Language

English

Subject

Central Visayas, Herpetofauna of Cebu, Key biodiversity areas, Limestone forest, Mount Lantoy, Permanent plots

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.56899/149.03.17

Digital Copy

yes

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