Jansenii / Oxycephalum

Distribution and Habitat

by Freight Freitas

Distribution:

Gonyosoma oxycephala has a very broad distribution throughout most of South East Asia, Indonesia, and the Phillipines (Schulz 1996).

Indonesia: Java, Borneo, Sumatra, Bangka, Belitung, Karimata Legundi, Lombok, Mentawai Archipelago, Natuna Archipelago, Nias, Panaitan, Riau Archipelago, Sebuku, Tambelan Archipelago

South East Asia: Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Penang Island,

India: Andaman Islands, Nicobar Islands

Philippine Islands: Balabac, Bohol, Bongao, Dinagat, Lubang, Luzon, Negros, Palawan, Sulu Archipelago, Panay.

Each color morph of Gonyosoma jansenii appears to be isolated to its own specific island in Indonesia. The black tailed jansenii is found only on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi/Celebes (Schulz 1996), and the black jansenii appears to be isolated to the small island of Salayar just off the southern coast of Sulawesi.

Editorial Correction: We have been told by Dan Mulleary (DM Exotics) that the jet black jansenii being imported this year (2023), which formerly were called “Selayar” are actually being collected from the island of Jampea, south of Selayar. This could possibly have been the case all along.

Habitat

Gonyosoma oxycephala inhabits tropical rainforests and is typically found in lowlands, foothills, mangrove swamps, and in vegetation along riverbanks. Being a predominantly arboreal species this snake is generally found in bushes and trees at elevations up to 750m (Schulz 1996).

Gonyosoma jansenii inhabits both low and high elevation rainforests between the elevations of 100-1000m. The black tailed jansenii is much more heavy bodied than both the black janseni, and oxycephala, and is believed to live a semi-terrestrial/semi-arboreal lifestyle (Gumprecht, year unknown).