SEAVR 2021: 013‐014
ISSN: 2424‐8525
Date of publication: 15 November 2021
Hosted online by ecologyasia.com

First record of King Cobra Ophiophagus hannah predation on Samar Water
Monitor Lizard Varanus samarensis on Bohol Island, Philippines
Emerson Y. SY
emersonsy@gmail.com

Observer: Marjun Silmaro.
Photograph by: Marjun Silmaro.
Subjects identified by: Emerson Y. Sy.
Location: Bohol Island, Barangay Danikop, Municipality of Sierra Bullones, Bohol Province, Philippines.
Elevation: 316 metres ASL.
Habitat: Coconut and bamboo plantation adjacent to a stream.
Date and time: 02 October 2021, 09:15 hrs.
Identity of subjects:(i) King Cobra, Ophiophagus hannah (Reptilia: Squamata: Serpentes: Elapidae).
(ii) Samar Water Monitor Lizard, Varanus samarensis (Reptilia: Squamata: Sauria: Varanidae)
Description of record:
A snake was observed swallowing a monitor lizard head first, in a coconut and bamboo plantation. A resident hit
the snake around the neck region with a jungle bolo (a long, heavy, single‐edged knife) to kill it and pulled out thedead monitor lizard (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1.

© M. Silmaro

13Remarks:
The snake was identified as Ophiophagus hannah based on (i) loreal scale is absent, (ii) a large pair of occipitalscales behind parietal scales, (iii) one preocular, (iv) three postoculars, and (v) colour of dorsal head and body is
uniform dark grey with light diagonal markings at midbody (Taylor, 1920; Sy, unpubl. data). The monitor lizard was
identified as Varanus samarensis based on (i) dorsal colour of head, body, limbs, and tail is predominantly black,(ii) transverse rows of distinct pale yellow spots and ocelli, (iii) limbs with yellow dots, and (iv) tail with transverse
pale yellow bands (Auliya & Koch, 2020).
The King Cobra has a widespread distribution and is known to occur in all major faunal regions in the Philippines(e.g. Gaulke, 2011 [Western Visayas]; Leviton, 1965 [Sulu Archipelago]; Sy, 2016 [Mindanao], Taylor, 1922 [Luzon,Palawan]). Although the King Cobra is predominantly ophiophagous, it has been documented to predate on theMindanao Water Monitor Lizard Varanus cumingi on Mindanao Island (Siler et al., 2011) and on the Palawan Water
Monitor Lizard Varanus palawanensis on Miniloc Island/Palawan faunal region (Sy & Ong, 2019). This note provides
the first record of King Cobra predation on the Samar Water Monitor Lizard.
References:
Auliya, M. and Koch, A. (2020). Visual identification guide to the monitor lizard species of the world (genus Varanus).
Bundesamt für Naturschutz, Bonn, Germany. 201 pp.
Gaulke, M. (2011). The herpetofauna of Panay Island, Philippines. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
390 pp.
Leviton, A.E. (1965). Contribution to a review of Philippine snakes, VII. The snakes of the genera Naja andOphiophagus. Philippine Journal of Science 93(4): 531‐550.
Siler, C.D., Welton, L.J., Brown, R.M., Infante, C. and Diesmos, A.C. (2011). Ophiophagus hannah (King Cobra) diet.
Herpetological Review 42(2): 297.
Sy, E.Y. (2016). Geographic distribution: Ophiophagus hannah (King Cobra): Philippines, Mindanao Island,Zamboanga del Norte Province. Herpetological Review 47(2): 264.
Sy, E.Y. and Ong, B.K.C. (2019). King Cobra Ophiophagus hannah predation on Palawan Water Monitor Lizard
Varanus palawanensis in the Philippines. Southeast Asia Vertebrate Records 2019: 44‐45.
Taylor, E. H. (1922). The snakes of the Philippine Islands. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources andBureau of Science, Manila. 312 pp. + 37 plates.

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