THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Davao Region reported the sighting of a Mindanao mangrove snake inside the Baganga Mangrove Swamp Forest Reserve.
DENR-Davao said personnel from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office in Baganga spotted the snake during patrol operations on April 21.
The snake, identified as Boiga dendrophila latifasciata, was found resting on a bakhaw lalaki (Rhizophora apiculata) tree, underscoring the importance of mangrove species in supporting wildlife habitats within the reserve.
Personnel identified the snake through its glossy black body marked with bold yellow transverse bands.
"The documentation of this species within the BMSFR emphasizes the ecological importance of mangrove ecosystems in sustaining diverse wildlife," DENR-Davao said in a statement released May 9.
The agency said the discovery adds to the growing list of wildlife documented in the reserve and strengthens the need for continued conservation, protection, and monitoring efforts in the area.
The Mindanao mangrove snake is nocturnal and arboreal, commonly inhabiting lowland forests, riverbanks, and mangrove ecosystems. The species can survive even in partially disturbed habitats, showing adaptability to environmental changes.
DENR-Davao said the snake is rear-fanged and mildly venomous. Under Department Administrative Order 2019-09, which contains the updated national list of threatened Philippine fauna, the species is classified as an Other Threatened Species due to risks such as habitat loss and environmental degradation.
The Baganga mangrove ecosystem plays a vital role in shoreline protection, biodiversity conservation, fisheries support, and carbon storage in eastern Mindanao.
The Baganga Mangrove Swamp Forest Reserve was declared a protected area under Presidential Proclamation No. 2152 dated Dec. 29, 1981.
Adjacent to the reserve is the Baganga Protected Landscape, formerly known as the Baganga Watershed Reservation, which was declared a protected area under the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992.
Both protected areas cover a combined 14,013 hectares across 11 coastal barangays in Baganga town, including Baculin, Bobonao, Salingcomot, Lucod, Central, Saoquigue, Lambajon, Dapnan, San Victor, Kinablangan, and Ban-ao. RGP
