Coelognathus erythrurus manillensis (Jan, 1863)

Photo figure 38

Northern Philippine Rat Snake

Compsosoma melanurus, Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril, 1854:301 (part: var. C [“varieté de Manille ”]).

Elaphis melanurus manillensis Jan, 1863:61 (based on Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril, 1854:301); 1867:Livr. 21, pl. 4, fig. 2.

Coluber erythrurus, Boulenger, 1894:62 (part: Luzon).— Boettger, 1895:3, 5 (part: Luzon); 1898: 54 (Luzon).

Elaphe erythrura, Taylor, 1922a:156 (part: Luzon, Polillo); 1922b:138 (Luzon); 1922d:138.— Brown, Ferner, Sison, Gonzales, and Kennedy, 1996:13.

Elaphe erythrura erythrura, Leviton, 1963c:390, 395, 403 (Luzon, Mindoro, Polillo).

Elaphe erythrura manillensis, Leviton, 1979:110 .— Brown, McGuire, Ferner, Icarangal Jr., and Kennedy, 2000:189.

Coelognathus erythrurus, Wallach, Williams, and Boundy, 2014:169 (part).

Coelognathus erythrurus manillensis, McLeod, Siler, Diesmos, Diesmos, Garcia, Arkonceo, Balaquit, Uy, Villaseran, Yarra, and Brown, 2011:188 .— Brown, Oliveros, Siler, Fernandez, Welton, Buenavente. Diesmos, and Diesmos, 2012:483.— Devan-Song and Brown, 2012:12.— Brown, Siler, Oliveros, Welton, Rock, Swab, Van Weerd, van Beijnen, Jose, Rodriguez, Jose, and Diesmos, 2013:78, fig. 80.

Coelognathus erythrura manillensis, Oliveros, Ota, Crombie, and Brown, 2011:14 .

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE SPECIMEN (S).— “ Manille ”. Type based on Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril (1854:301); MNHN (not confirmed).

PHILIPPINE DISTRIBUTION (ENDEMIC) (Map 10 Bb [p. 121]).— Batanes Ids. (Batan), Babuyan Ids. (Barit, Calayan, Dalupiri), Luzon (Prov.: Albay, Aurora, Benguet, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines Sur, Cavite, Ifuago, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Laguna, Manila, Nueva Vizcaya, Quezon, Pampanga, Sorsogon, Zambales), Mindoro (Prov.: Occidental Mindoro), Polillo.

REMARKS.— Reported from Catanduanes Id., off the southeast coast of Luzon (see Elaphe erythrura, Ross and Gonzales [1992:66], who ascribe color pattern features as most like those of C. e. psephenourus of the Visayan Island group). It may well be that the Polillo, southern Luzon, Cantaduanes populations represent a distinct taxon.

Recent observations (and specimens in Kansas University [KU] collections) demonstrate that the “psephenoura-like” phenotype maybe widespread on Bicol Peninsula as well (recent KU specimens from Sorsogon Prov.).

CONSERVATION STATUS [IUCN].— The conservation status of Coelognathus erythrurus manillensis has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List [2016] ver. 3.1, but IUCN notes that it is listed in the Catalogue of Life.