Over eight million tourists visited the Philippines in the previous year; drawn by the country’s natural beauty, beaches, and historic towns, the islands are considered a generally safe destination despite some somewhat frightening native species.
However, some individuals find it off-putting to plan a vacation in the Philippines, where there are different poisonous types of snakes.
This could have a big impact on where you travel, what you do there, and even whether you go at all!
Although the majority of types of snakes in the Philippines found there are benign, the Philippines is also home to some of the world’s deadliest snakes.
This article lists the different types of snakes in the Philippines, along with information on where to find them and what makes them so hazardous.
It’s also important to remember that snakes are quite afraid of people and won’t usually attack unless they feel threatened.
Usually, common sense will keep any unpleasant interactions at bay.
Let’s get started;
1. Palawan Long-Glanded Coral Snake
This is the first on our list of types of snakes in the Philippines. Long-glanced coral snakes are the end of our list of snake types in the Philippines.
Some of the most unusual venom in the world, possessed by Long-Glanded Coral Snakes, causes an instantaneous shock to the body, resulting in spasms and a nervous system overload.
These types of snakes in the Philippines have some of the largest venom glands in the world, covering a quarter of their length. They typically pursue other venomous snakes, particularly juvenile King Cobras.
Its venom acts quickly but doesn’t immediately kill; instead, it paralyzes targets that move swiftly, including prospective predators like cobras, by triggering their nerves.
2. Pit Viper
The Philippines is home to these vividly colored snakes that live in trees.
The archipelago is home to several species of lance-headed pit vipers, including Wagler’s, Philippine, Polillo, and Bataan.
One distinctive characteristic is that lance-headed pit vipers give birth to their young lives rather than laying eggs.
Unlike other snake types in the Philippines, pit viper venom targets red blood cells rather than the nervous system.
3. Coral Snake
The Philippines has several coral snake species, such as the Luzon and Palawan long-glanded coral snakes.
Coral snakes can be recognized by their markings, stripes, or bands of various colors.
The Philippines’ primary nocturnal coral snakes live in scrub jungles and monsoon forests, avoiding arid regions.
These types of snakes in the Philippines are generally calm and avoid human interaction.
4. Wagler’s Pit Viper
The Wagler, also called the Temple Pit Viper, is considered the most prevalent type of Pit Viper in Southeast Asia. It inhabits mangrove areas and lowland woods.
The head of this snake is often recognized by its triangular form.
Wagler Vipers are poisonous, much like all other pit vipers, although they aren’t thought to be very aggressive—especially not towards people.
These types of snakes can be found sleeping on trees several feet above the ground in the Philippines, even though they are usually found in low foliage.
When this species is digesting its food, it spends days at a time sleeping in trees. When it is looking for its next meal, it is found on the ground.
Ezoic Wagler’s Pit Vipers consume small rodents like rats and certain birds. At night, they use heat sensors on either side of their heads to identify prey.
Males are easily distinguished from females because of their relatively slimmer build, lime green underbelly, red and cream spots/patches on the top of their body, and reddish-brown tail tips.
Typically, females have a bigger abdomen and have dark or black upper bodies with bands of yellow and white underneath.
The venom of pit vipers targets red blood cells rather than the nervous system, which is unusual for snakes. Pit vipers don’t lay eggs; they give birth to their young.
5. King Cobra
One of the world’s most poisonous snakes, it may confront a person directly when it assumes a menacing stance.
King Cobras are among the most infamous snakes in the area since they can raise a third of their body above the ground and yet have enough momentum for an attack.
Fortunately, King Cobras tend to be shy and will go to great lengths to avoid people. This snake will display its well-known hood and hiss loudly to warn anyone around.
Although its venom is not as strong as some of its relatives, even though it is the longest snake in the world, the enormous amount of neurotoxic it can produce offsets this.
The King Cobra can spit up to 2/10 of a fluid ounce in a single bite, which is enough to kill 20 people or an adult elephant.
These poisons attack the brain and cause heart and respiratory failure. The King Cobra typically consumes eggs, small animals, lizards, and snakes.
6. Sea Krait
This extremely venomous sea snake is easy to recognize because of its black head, yellow upper lip, snout, and cheeks.
The Yellow-Lipped Sea Krait has a pale grey body with black stripes and a yellowish underside. Its paddle-like tail allows it to swim rather well.
These types of snakes in the Philippines may reach a length of 4.5 feet and a weight of 1.8 kg when fully grown. They feed primarily on tiny fish and eels.
Like other sea snakes, it has a potent neurotoxic venom.
This semi-aquatic snake, also found on land in the Philippines, is not naturally hostile and will only bite a person if it feels threatened.
In the Philippines, these types of snakes can frequently be found resting in locations such as a boat’s exhaust or water intake devices.
It is also drawn to light, which causes it to gather near hotels and other structures along the coast.
This sea snake is considered a delicacy in some ways, and it is harvested for its flesh and skin in the Philippines.
After being smoked, the meat is then sold to Japan and used as a gourmet component in Okinawan cuisine.
Conservationists have only conclusively documented two nests belonging to Yellow-Lipped Sea Kraits, even though they may lay up to ten eggs in a clutch and are adept at concealing them in small cracks and fissures.
7. Equine Spitting Cobra
The Equatorial Spitting Cobra is also one of the most dangerous types of snake in the Philippines. Due to its high level of venom, it should be handled very carefully.
It is often referred to as the Sumatran Cobra (Naja sumatrana). This lowland species has evolved to dwell in towns and cities, mainly in residential areas with dense vegetation.
On hot days, this type of snake will hide in shaded, covered places, like an open drain or a hollow in an outside wall.
Even though this species is not usually hostile, it is still advisable to pay attention to any warning indications because, as its name implies, it can spray venom at a perceived assailant.
If not immediately cleaned away, it can inflict severe, long-lasting damage to the tissue in and around the eyes.
These types of snakes in the Philippines will hiss loudly and elevate a third of their body upright to reveal its hood when it attack.
The cobra will spit poison or strike if it feels threatened. This snake can often be fatally bitten.
This snake, indigenous to the southern parts of the Philippines, is recognized by its thick midsection, pale neck, and bluish-black coloring.
Rats, mice, and certain amphibians, including the Asian toad, are among its frequent victims.
8. Lake Taal Snake
The Crocker’s Sea Snake, indigenous to a single lake on Rennell Island in the Solomon Islands, is the other known freshwater-only sea type of snake in the Philippines.
This uncommon species of poisonous sea snake is only found in Lake Taal. Its colouring, which consists of yellow bands running from top to bottom and dark skin, is typical of most sea snakes.
Nonetheless, at 50–70 cm, the Lake Taal snake is shorter than most sea snake species.
This species features valves in its nostrils to keep water out of its nasal and oral passages and a paddle-like tail.
These types of snakes in the Philippines live their entire lives, including mating seasons in the acidic waters of Batangas’ Lake Taal, a volcanic crater lake.
They consume small fish, and while population estimates are unknown, pollution and human activity are thought to have contributed to their decline.
