New king cobra species in Luzon identified

A new king cobra species in Luzon has been identified.

According to Kuya Kim's report on "24 Oras" Tuesday, the new species, called the Luzon king cobra (Ophiophagus salvatana), was identified in a new landmark study published on the European Journal of Taxonomy on October 16. It is endemic or can only be found in some parts of the northern island.

Jazz Ong, a herpetologist, explained the physical differences of the Luzon king cobra from the king cobras in other parts of Asia.

"'Yung mga King cobras natin sa PIlipinas, they are a bit smaller compared to 'yung mga King cobras sa Southeast Asia. 'Yung band is one of the most distinct features ng King cobra eh. Sa salvatana, hindi siya ganun kahalata, mas maliit din 'yung ulo niya," she shared.

The Luzon king cobra's discovery is significant, she said, because this would allow us to know how rare and fragile Philippine biodiversity is.

"Now, alam na natin na super endemic siya, meaning na dito lang siya sa Pilipinas. Hindi rin sa buong Luzon, parts of Luzon lang siya nakikita. We have to reevaluate 'yung IUCN status niya," said Ong.

The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is considered "vulnerable" in The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN Red List).

"Vulnerable is the classification before endangered. In general, onti na lang talaga sila, it's possible na kung mas onti pa nga dun 'yung Luzon king cobra," she added.

Wildlife Matters, a local conservation organization that Ong founded, launched the King Cobra Initiative Philippines to protect "snakes and communities through citizen science and education."

Ong enjoined the public to report cobra sightings through their initiative's online form, adding that the solution is not in killing cobras.

"Kailangan natin malaman kung alin 'yung mga areas na mas kailangan talagang tutukan at kailangan ng anti-venom the most. The answer is not in killing. The answer is proper human-snake conflict mitigation," she said.

Meanwhile, if one encounters a king cobra, it is advised not to hurt the snake and to remain calm.

According to Kuya Kim, one must leave every exit point open, like doors and windows, and to not go near the snake.

One must also avoid moving quickly so as not to startle it; instead, one must slowly back away towards a safe area while keeping one's eyes on the snake. Once safe, immediately ask help from experts.

The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) was previously thought to be one species, but the new study has categorized the snake into four species, restricting the Ophiophagus hannah to king cobras from eastern Pakistan, northern and southern India, the Andaman Islands, Indo-Burma and Indo-China, and south to central Thailand.

Aside from the Ophiophagus salvatana in Luzon, the study also identified a new king cobra species endemic to the Western Ghats of south-western India, called the Ophiophagus kaalinga.

Furthermore, the study revived the nomen Ophiophagus bungarus for king cobras in the Sunda Shelf area, including some parts of southern Philippines, the Greater Sunda Islands, and the Malay Peninsula.

This means the Philippines now has two king cobra species.

— CDC, GMA Integrated News