Ikaheka Snake
Micropechis ikaheca
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyElapidae (Elapid Snakes)
- GenusMicropechis (Ikaheka Snakes)
- SpeciesMicropechis ikaheca (Ikaheka Snake)
About the Ikaheka Snake
Micropechis ikaheca, commonly known as the New Guinea small-eyed snake or Ikaheka snake, is a highly venomous elapid, the only species in the genus Micropechis. The holotype was collected at Doré (modern day Manokwari) on the Vogelkop of Netherlands New Guinea, and described in 1829, by the naturalist on board the French Navy vessel La Coquille, ship's surgeon René Primevère Lesson, in a volume of the three-year circumnavigation (1922-1925) by Louis Isidore Duperrey, captain of La Coquille. Lesson's holotype is housed in the collection of the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, in Paris, with the museum accession no. MNHN 7669.
It is known as sataw in the Kalam language of Papua New Guinea. Micropechis ikaheca is endemic to New Guinea and adjacent islands, notably Karkar Island, Madang Province, in Papua New Guinea, where it is particularly common and referred to as the "white snake" due to its pale coloring. It is also found on neighboring Manam Island, and Walis Island in East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. In Indonesia, other than Western New Guinea, they can also be found on the Biak Islands, Raja Ampat Islands, and Aru Islands. Wikipedia →
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Ikaheka Snake in Raja Ampat?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ikaheka Snake sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Ikaheka Snake in Raja Ampat?
November has the highest sighting rate for Ikaheka Snake in Raja Ampat in our monthly data.