DENR National Capital Region, through its South Field Office (SFO), retrieved a Luzon Red-tailed Brown Snake (Coelognathus erythrurus manillensis) from Parañaque City last November 23, 2021.
The snake was surrendered by Chris Bryan Ponce, a resident of United Parañaque Subdivision (UPS) 5 in Barangay San Isidro. According to Mr. Ponce, he found the snake in their garden and decided to catch it for fear that it could harm other people, especially children. Immediately after catching the snake, he called the SFO for assistance.
The SFO retrieved the snake and brought it to the Wildlife Rescue Center at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center in Quezon City for temporary custody and care in keeping with Sec. 28 of Republic Act No. 9147 or the “Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001”.
Rat snakes are a non-venomous type of snake and feed mostly on rats and other small animals. It kills its prey by wrapping its body around it, squeezing the animal until its heart stops.
The snake is endemic to the island of Luzon and is found mostly in forests edges, fields, or farmlands. Although their numbers in the wild are stable, they are often killed or captured by people when they happen to venture into populated areas. RA 9147, however, penalizes the killing or harming of wild animals.
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