Singapore’s herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution
Author
Figueroa, Alex
Author
Low, Martyn E. Y.
0000-0001-7927-7149
martyn.low@nus.edu.sg
Author
Lim, Kelvin K. P.
0000-0002-0638-9198
kelvinlim@nus.edu.sg
text
Zootaxa
2023
2023-05-18
5287
1
1
378
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5287.1.1
journal article
53474
10.11646/zootaxa.5287.1.1
90d83153-c065-4771-9ac7-35dda67996b5
1175-5326
7960319
78E23714-8973-4755-BC94-0A751D7D2B37
Coelognathus
cf.
subradiatus
—Erroneous.
Sunda Rat Snake
(
Figure 27C & 27D
)
Singapore
records.
Coluber hodgsonii
—
Hanitsch, 1898: 10
.—
Flower, 1899: 668
.—
Hanitsch, 1912b: 16
.
Coluber Hodgsoni
—Ridley, 1899: 208.
Elaphe taeniura
—Sworder, 1923: 63.
Remarks.
A specimen in the ZRC collections (no catalogue data) identified as “
Coluber hodgsoni
” was first reported by
Hanitsch (1898)
in an annual report of the museum’s holdings.
Flower (1899)
, Ridley (1899), and
Hanitsch (1912b)
all refer to the same specimen. Sworder (1923) later amended the identification to
Elaphe taeniura
after Malcolm Smith examined the specimen and stated, “that this specimen appears to be an intermediate form between the common form and the variety (ridleyi) which inhabits caves.” Sworder (1923) also noted that the identification as “
Coluber hodgsoni
” must be incorrect given that the species “is only known from a limited range, in the Himalayan region”, making “the record of a specimen from
Singapore
… somewhat startling”.
After examining specimen ZRC.2.4537, we find that it closely identifies with
Coelognathus subradiatus
(
Fig. 27C, D
). One of the main characters differentiating
Coelognathus
from species of
Elaphe
formerly classified under
Orthriophis
, is that the last supralabial touching the eye also touches the temporals (Smith 1943). ZRC.2.4537 possesses a presubocular, which
C. subradiatus
is the only species in the genus having this trait (Utiger
et al.
2005). Diagnosis of ZRC.2.4537 is as follows: snout-vent-length 125.0 cm; tail length 37.0 cm; 230 ventrals; 111 subcaudals; anal plate divided; dorsals 27:25:19; 1 loreal; 1 preocular; 2 postoculars; 1 presubocular present; 8 supralabials (IV and V touching the eye, and V touching the first two temporals); 9 infralabials (III–V touching the anterior chin shield); 2+3+4 temporals; dorsal dark brown above with irregular light spots; venter yellowish anteriorly with brown mottling transitioning to uniform dark brown posteriorly.
Coelognathus subradiatus
is native to the
Lesser Sunda Islands
of
Indonesia
and
Timor-Leste
(Wallach
et al.
2014).
LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens.
Singapore
(no locality):
ZRC.2.4537 (no date).
Additional
Singapore
museum specimens.
No specimens.
Genus
Elaphe
Fitzinger
in Wagler, 1833 (1 species)