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
Eleutherodactylus planirostris
(Cope, 1862)
—
Non-native; Established.
Hylodes planirostris
Cope, 1862: 153
.
Type
material: None designated;
type
material originally at “Mus. Salem” (=
PEM
) apparently lost (
Schwartz
&
Thomas
1975: 33)
.
Type
locality: “
New Providence Island
,
Bahamas
”
.
Greenhouse Frog
(
Figure 5D
; Tengah Forest)
Singapore
records.
Eleutherodactylus planirostris
—Groenewoud & I.S. Law, 2016a: 59 (Sembawang).—A. Tay
et al.
, 2017: 103 (Clementi Woods).—A. Yeo
et al.
, 2018: 1 (Dairy Farm Nature Park).—B.C. Ng, 2021: 135, 137 (Pang Sua Woodland).—L. Ong, 2022: 1 (Fort Canning Park).—Puniamoorthy
et al.
, 2022: 1 (Mount Serapong, [Sentosa]).
Remarks.
On
3 December 2015
, one individual of
E. planirostris
was found at a housing estate in Sembawang (Groenewoud & Law 2016). Two years later, several individuals were found at Clementi Woods on
28 July 2017
(Tay
et al.
2017) and one individual was found at DFNP on
18 November 2017
(Yeo
et al.
2018), suggesting either multiple introductions or rapid dispersion away from its introductory site. We believe the former to be true as the colonisation of
E. planirostris
at unoccupied sites appears to be linked to construction works (A. Figueroa pers. obs.). Today,
E. planirostris
is very common and is found throughout
Singapore
, including CNR (A. Figueroa unpubl. data). Native to
Cuba
,
Bahamas
, and Grand Cayman (
Heinicke
et al.
2011
),
E. planirostris
has established populations throughout the Caribbean,
U.S.
,
Mexico
down to South America, Hawaii,
Guam
,
Philippines
,
Hong Kong
, and
Nigeria
(
Kraus 2009
; Ukpong
et al.
2012;
Lee
et al.
2016
). The main driver behind its expansion is the plant trade (
Kraus 2009
), which is how
E. planirostris
is believed to have reached
Singapore
(Groenewoud & Law 2016). The populations in
Hong Kong
are regarded to have arrived via plants imported from the
United States of America
in the early 2000s, which in turn, exports plants to
Singapore
(
Lee
et al.
2016
). Molecular analysis into the origin of
E. planirostris
in Shenzen,
China
indicated that the species was introduced from
Hong Kong
, the
Philippines
,
Panama
, but most likely
Florida
,
USA
(
Hong
et al.
2022
). Presently,
E. planirostris
’ impact to native fauna remains unknown. However, given its small size, occupancy of leaf litter, and insectivorous diet, we foresee
E. planirostris
possibly competing with species of
Microhyla
.
Occurrence.
Widespread, excluding Nature Reserves and most Nature Parks. Common.
Singapore
conservation status.
Not Applicable.
Conservation priority.
None, non-native species.
IUCN conservation status.
Least Concern [2021].
LKCNHM
&
NHMUK
Museum specimens.
Clementi Woods Park:
ZRC
.1.13124–
ZRC
.1.13128 (
09-Aug-2017
)
,
ZRC
.1.13129–
ZRC
.1.13131 (
14-Aug-2017
)
.
Additional
Singapore
museum specimens.
No specimens.
Singapore
localities.
Clementi Woods—Dairy Farm Nature Park—Fort Canning Park—Pang Sua Woodland— Sembawang—Sentosa—Tengah Forest.
Family
Megophryidae Bonaparte, 1850
(2 species)
Megalophreidina Bonaparte, 1850: 1 (
type
genus
Megophrys
Kuhl & Van Hasselt, 1822
).
Genus
Leptobrachium
Tschudi, 1838
(1 species)
Leptobrachium
Tschudi, 1838: 81
(
type
species:
Leptobrachium hasseltii
Tschudi, 1838
, by monotypy; gender neuter).