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
Heosemys grandis
(Gray, 1860)
—
Non-native; Established.
Geoemyda grandis
Gray, 1860:218
.
Syntypes
(2):
BMNH 1947.3
.4.7(formerly 1860.8.28.1)and 1947.3.4.55 (formerly 1860.8.28.2), by original designation;
BMNH 1947.3
.4.56 (formerly 1861.6.1.7) may also be a
syntype
as it is listed as one in BMNH catalogue, according to
Iverson (2022: 25)
. Type locality: “
Cambojia
” (=
Cambodia
).
Giant Asian Pond Turtle
(
Figure 9D
)
Singapore
records.
Geoemyda grandis
—
Hanitsch, 1898: 9
.—Ridley, 1899: 205.
Geodyma
[sic]
grandis
—F.L.K.
Lim, 1984: 18
.
Heosemys grandis
—B.L.
Lim & Das, 1999: 72
.—
Auliya, 2007: 52–53
.—P.K.A. Ng, 2009: 26.—Ng T.H. & K.K.P. Lim, 2010: 126 (Seletar Airbase).—D.C.J. Yeo & C.S.W. Chia, 2010: 35.—Fung & K.K.P. Lim, 2013: 120. (Upper Seletar Reservoir Park).—S.K. Tan & K.K.P.
Lim, 2013b: 115
(Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—Khong & K.K.P. Lim, 2014: 205 (Springside Avenue).—I.S.
Law, 2014c: 255
(Venus Drive [WNP]).—R. Subaraj, 2015: 52 (Project Western Boundary [= MBP]).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 5 (Project Western Boundary [= MBP]).—
Andersen
et al.
, 2021: 3
.—Mehta & K.K.P. Lim, 2021: 1 (Windsor Nature Park).
Hieremys annandalii
—Chow & K.K.P.
Lim, 2017: 21
(Venus Drive [WNP]).
Remarks.
The native distribution of
H. grandis
covers
Myanmar
,
Laos
,
Thailand
,
Cambodia
, and Peninsular
Malaysia
(TTWG 2021). Early records of
H. grandis
in
Singapore
(
Hanitsch 1898: 19
; Ridley 1899) were misidentified and later revealed to be
Siebenrockiella crassicollis
and
Notochelys platynota
by
Flower (1899)
. The
N. platynota
specimen was from Seletar, but the
S. crassicollis
specimen was from
Myanmar
or
Penang
, Peninsular
Malaysia
(
Hanitsch 1912b
).
Lim (1984)
commented that
H. grandis
is found in
Singapore
, but did not reference or mention any records. As follows, the first actual account of
H. grandis
in
Singapore
comes from an individual found at Seletar Airbase on
11 September 2005
(Ng & Lim 2010). The next record is from
26 September 2010
of an individual observed in NSSF (Tan &
Lim 2013b
), and another was seen at NSSF on
20 July 2011
(A. Figueroa pers. obs.) demonstrating that
H. grandis
infiltrated CNR. Apparently,
H. grandis
has established breeding populations as evident by a hatchling observed on
5 May 2012
at USRP (
Fung & Lim 2013
) and a juvenile caught at Springside Avenue on
17 July 2014
(
Khong & Lim 2014
).
Heosemys grandis
has also been recorded at Mandai (R. Subaraj 2015; S. Subaraj 2015), Jurong Lake Gardens in
January 2017
(A. Figueroa pers. obs.), Kranji Reservoir Park in
April 2021
(A. Figueroa pers. obs.) (
Fig. 9D
), and multiple times at WNP on
13 December 2010
,
7 August 2014
,
18 December 2016
, and
19 May 2021
(
Law 2014c
;
Chow & Lim 2017
;
Mehta & Lim 2021
) revealing that it is widespread throughout
Singapore
. Given
H. grandis’
widespread distribution in
Singapore
and the presence of young individuals, we declare it as established in
Singapore
.
Occurrence.
Wide-ranging. Uncommon.
Singapore
conservation status.
Not Applicable.
Conservation priority.
None, non-native species.
IUCN conservation status.
Critically Endangered [2021].
LKCNHM
&
NHMUK
Museum specimens.
No specimens.
Additional
Singapore
museum specimens.
No specimens.
Singapore
localities.
Kranji Reservoir Park—Jurong Lake Gardens—Mandai Bird Park—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Seletar Airbase—Springside Avenue—Upper Seletar Reservoir Park—Windsor Nature Park.