https://doi.org/10.4081/nhs.2026.978
Predation of Philippine paradise flying snake Chrysopelea paradisi variabilis Mertens 1968 on Philippine emerald tree skink Lamprolepis smaragdina philippinica (Mertens 1928) on Negros Island, Philippines
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Accepted: 9 September 2026
Published: 5 November 2026
Here we present an observation of an adult Philippine paradise flying snake Chrysopelea paradisi variabilis preying on an emerald tree skink Lamprolepis smaragdina in Valencia, Negros Oriental, on 2 March 2025. The event occurred on a solitary tree at 296 m a.s.l. and lasted 20 minutes, with 15 minutes devoted to swallowing the prey. The snake displayed the diagnostic slenderbody, flattened head with yellow-orange bands, and dark dorsumwith yellow-green spotting characteristic of the subspecies. The preywas identified by its lime-green colouration, black-edged scales, andpointed head. Both species occur in secondary forest-edge to disturbed habitats. This observation is consistent with previous reports of C. p. variabilis preying on small vertebrates, including a similar record involving L. smaragdina documented near Dumaguete. Our record, which includes a video documentation of the entire predation sequence, reinforces the species’ role as an arboreal predator and contributes to ongoing documentation of predator-prey relationships in Philippine colubrids.
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