SEAVR 2023: 017‐018
ISSN: 2424‐8525
Date of publication: 19 June 2023
Hosted online by ecologyasia.com

Predation by Philippine Vine Snake Ahaetulla prasina preocularis on
Philippine forest skink Pinoyscincus sp. on Luzon Island, Philippines
Cyrus Job P. DELA CRUZ, Manny SEVILLA & Emerson Y. SY
cyrusjob.delacruz@bicol‐u.edu.ph (Dela Cruz), emersonsy@gmail.com (Sy)Observer: Manny Sevilla.
Photograph by: Manny Sevilla.
Subject identified by: Cyrus Job P. Dela Cruz; Emerson Y. Sy.
Location: Luzon Island, Barangay San Jose, Municipality of San Vicente, Camarines Norte Province, Philippines.
Elevation: 463 metres ASL.
Habitat: Secondary growth forest.
Date and time: 29 September 2022, 08: 00 hrs.
Identity of subjects:(i) Philippine Vine Snake, Ahaetulla prasina preocularis (Reptilia: Squamata: Serpentes: Colubridae).
(ii) Philippine forest skink, Pinoyscincus sp. (Reptilia: Squamata: Sauria: Scincidae).

Description of record:A
slendergreen
snake
approximately 110 cm in total
length was observed biting askink on the back just behind theanterior limbs (Fig. 1).
The skink struggled for a coupleof minutes, but eventually wasimmobilized.
Thesnakeproceeded to swallow its preyhead first, but the actual
consumption was not observed.
Remarks:
Ahaetulla prasina is an arboreal
and diurnal snake that can be
identified by its long and slenderbody, head is elongated anddistinct from neck, pupils arehorizontal, and lack of markingson dorsum (Sy, in press).
Members of the genus Ahaetulla
are known to feed on small
lizards, birds, frogs, mammals,
and occasionally on fishes andsnakes (Dunbar and Dunbar,2015; Lalbiakzuala et al., 2019;
Mohalik and Kar, 2019).

Fig. 1.

© M. Sevilla

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The subspecies A. p. preocularis is endemic to the Philippines and is known to occur on the islands of Basilan, Batan,Bohol, Camiguin Norte, Camiguin Sur, Cebu, Dinagat, Jolo, Leyte, Luzon, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindanao,Mindoro, Negros, Panay, Polillo, Sabtang, Samar, Sibutu, Sibuyan, and Tablas (Leviton et al., 2018). It has beenreported to feed on geckos and skinks (including genus Mabuya = Eutropis) (Leviton, 1968) and unidentified frogs(Gaulke, 2011). The skink was identified as Pinoyscincus sp. based on its short and tapering snout, moderate size,and black dorsolateral stripe (Brown & Alcala, 1980; Linkem et al., 2011). Although the Philippine Vine Snake isarboreal in nature, it may also descend to the forest floor while looking for prey (Leviton, 1968). This note adds
Pinoyscincus sp. to the list of known prey items.
References:Brown, W.C. and Alcala, A.C. (1980). Philippine lizards of the family Scincidae. Silliman University Press, Dumaguete,
Philippines. xi + 264.
Dunbar, J.P. and Dunbar, T. (2015). Ahaetulla prasina (Asian Vinesnake) diet and feeding behavior. HerpetologicalReview 46(2): 264‐265.
Gaulke, M. (2011). The herpetofauna of Panay Island, Philippines – an illustrated field guide. Edition Chimaira,Frankfurt am Main. 390 pp.
Lalbiakzuala, Lalmuansanga and Lalremsanga, H.T. (2019). Ahaetulla prasina (Asian Vine Snake) diet and feeding
behavior. Herpetological Review 50(4):796‐797.
Leviton, A.E. (1968). Contributions to a review of Philippine snakes, X. the snakes of the genus Ahaetula (sic).
Philippine Journal of Science 96(1):73‐90.
Leviton, A. E., Siler, C. D., Weinell, J. L. & Brown, R. M. 2018. Synopsis of the snakes of the Philippines. Proceedingsof the California Academy of Sciences, series 4, 64(14): 399‐568.
Linkem, C.W., Diesmos, A.C. and Brown, R.M. (2011). Molecular systematics of the Philippine forest skinks(Squamata: Scincidae: Sphenomorphus): testing morphological hypotheses of interspecific relationships. Zoological
Journal of the Linnean Society 163: 1217‐1243.
Mohalik, R.K. and Kar, N.B. (2019). Ahaetulla anomala (Variable‐colored Vine Snake) diet Herpetological Review
50(4):796.
Sy, E.Y. (in press). A naturalist's guide to the reptiles of the Philippines. John Beaufoy Publishing, Oxford, UK. 176
pp.

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