Lycodon capucinus (H. Boie, H. Boie, 1826

Leviton, Alan E., Siler, Cameron D., Weinell, Jeffrey L. & Brown, Rafe M., 2018, Synopsis of the Snakes of the Philippines A Synthesis of Data from Biodiversity Repositories, Field Studies, and the Literature, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (Oxford, England) 64 (14), pp. 399-568 : 437-438

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.11512589

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12724577

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B38B5C-8453-FFE1-FFDC-FE7AFCFDFD89

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Lycodon capucinus (H. Boie
status

 

Lycodon capucinus (H. Boie View in CoL in F. Boie, 1827)

Common Asian Wolf Snake

Lycodon capucinus H. Boie, 1826b:238 View in CoL (nomen nudum); H. Boie in F. Boie, 1827:551.

Lycodon tessellatus Jan, 1863b:96 View in CoL (type locality: “ Manila ”. Luzon Id., Philippines; holotype: NMW 21708).— Müller, 1888:288.— Leviton, 1965c:130.— Ota and Ross, 1994:170 et seq.— Lanza, 1999:89, 98.— Ota, 2000:301, figs. 1a–c.— Wallach, Williams, and Boundy, 2014:397.

Ophites tessellatus, Taylor, 1922a:124 .

Lycodon aulicus capucina, Boettger, 1898:37 .

Ophites aulicus, Taylor, 1922a:120 View in CoL , figs. 11a–b.

Lycodon aulicus capucinus, Leviton, 1965c:131 View in CoL .— Brown, Ferner, Sison, Gonzales, and Kennedy, 1996:13.— Ferner, Brown, Sison, and Kennedy, 2001:53 [20], fig. 49.

Lycodon aulicus View in CoL (part), Lanza, 1999:94–95, 98.— Taylor, 1922d:137.

Lycodon capucinus, Gaulke and Altenbach, 1994:63 View in CoL .— Gaulke, 2011:288–289, figs 194–195.— McLeod, Siler, Diesmos, Diesmos, Garcia, Arkonceo, Balaquit, Uy, Villaseran, Yarra, and Brown, 2011:188.— Siler, Welton, Siler, Brown, Bucol, Diesmos, and Brown, 2011:190.— Brown, Oliveros, Siler, Fernandez, Welton, Buenavente. Diesmos, and Diesmos, 2012:483.— Devan-Song and Brown, 2012:13.— Siler, Swab, Oliveros, Diesmos, Averia, Alcala, and Brown, 2012:456.— Brown, Siler, Oliveros, Welton, Rock, Swab, Van Weerd, van Beijnen, Jose, Rodriguez, Jose, and Diesmos, 2013:81, fig. 88.— Wallach, Williams, and Boundy, 2014:392.— Bauer, 2015:54.— Sanguila, Cobb, Siler, Diesmos Alcala, and Brown, 2016:94, fig. 68.— Supsup, Puna, Asis, Redoblado, Panaguinit, Guinto, Rico, Diesmos, Brown, and Mallari, 2016:169.

Lycodon aulicus View in CoL / capucinus, Siler, Oliveros, Santanen, and Brown, 2013:268 View in CoL , 270–271, fig. 3.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE SPECIMEN (S).— Java, Indonesia (original description based on pl. 37 in Russell, 1802); pl. 37 in Russell designated as Lectotype by Wallach, Williams, and Boundy (2014:392) (see also comments by Bauer [2015:54]).

PHILIPPINE DISTRIBUTION ( Map 21C [p. 132]).— Bantayan, Bohol, Carabao, Cebu, Camiguin Sur, Cuyo, Dinagat, Leyte, Luzon (Prov.: Aurora, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines Norte, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Laguna, Manila, Nueva Vizcaya, Quezon, Zambales), Masbate, Mindanao, Mindoro, Negros, Panay, Romblon, Samar, Semirara, Tablas.

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION (OTHER THAN PHILIPPINES).— Widely distributed throughout southeasern Asia (see Lanza [1999:95] and Wallach et al. [2014:392] for details).

REMARKS.— See Leviton (1965c:131) for an extensive synonymy for Philippine records.

Lycodon capucinus is a problematic species, often considered as a synonym of Lycodon aulicus differing only in the highly variable aspects of coloration (see discussion in Lanza [1999:94]). Based on aspects of its distribution in the Philippines, Leviton (1965c:134–135) suggested that its nomen superior, L. aulicus , was an introduced species. See also Siler, Oliveros, Santanen, and Brown (2013) for preliminary discussion of the lack of genetic diversity within the aulicus / capucinus species group.

Lycodon tessellatus , which, with a degree of hesitation we refer to the synonymy of L. capucinus , was formerly treated as a distinct, if somewhat suspect species, known only from the type specimen from Manila, and its placement has been the subject of considerable confusion since its description by Jan in 1863. Most recently, Ota (2000:299–304) reexamined the type specimen and provided new data that led him to suggest that “It is thus probable that L. tessellatus is most closely related to L. aulicus [ L. capucinus in the Philippines]. However, [other characters notwithstanding] it differs in having three series of prominent alternating black spots on the dorsum, at least in the anterior part of the body.... Detailed character analysis and molecular studies of additional specimens are necessary to clarify the relationships of this enigmatic species.” ( Ota [2000:302]). We concur.

CONSERVATION STATUS [IUCN].— Least Concern [2016] ver. 3.1.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Repitilia

Order

Squamata

Family

Colubridae

Genus

Lycodon

Loc

Lycodon capucinus (H. Boie

Leviton, Alan E., Siler, Cameron D., Weinell, Jeffrey L. & Brown, Rafe M. 2018
2018
Loc

Lycodon capucinus

SANGUILA, M. B. & K. A. COBB & C. D. SILER & A. C. DIESMOS & A. C. ALCALA & R. M. BROWN 2016: 94
SUPSUP, CHRISTIAN & M. PUNA & AUGUSTO & A. ASIS & BERNARD & R. REDOBLADO & MARIA FATIMA & G. PANAGUINIT & FAITH & M. GUINTO & EDMUND & B. RICO & ARVIN & C. DIESMOS & RAFE & M. BROWN & AND NEIL ALDRIN & D. MALLARI 2016: 169
BAUER, AARON 2015: 54
BROWN, RAFE & H. OLIVEROS & CAMERON & D. SILER & JASON & B. FERNANDEZ & LUKE & J. WELTON & PERRY ARCHIVAL & C. BUENAVENTE & MAE LOWE & L. DIESMOS & AND ARVIN & C. DIESMOS 2012: 13
SILER, CAMERON & C. SWAB & CARL & H. OLIVEROS & ARVIN & C. DIESMOS & LEONARDO AVERIA, ANGEL & C. ALCALA & AND RAFE & M. BROWN 2012: 456
GAULKE, MAREN 2011: 288
SILER, CAMERON & J. WELTON & JESSI & M. SILER & JOSEPH BROWN, ABNER & BUCOL, ARVIN & C. DIESMOS & AND RAFE & M. BROWN 2011: 190
2011
Loc

Lycodon aulicus

LANZA, BENEDITTO 1999: 94
TAYLOR, EDWARD 1922: 137
1999
Loc

Lycodon aulicus capucinus

FERNER, JOHN & M. BROWN & ROGELIO & V. SISON & AND ROBERT & S. KENNEDY 2001: 53
BROWN, RAFE & W. FERNER & ROGELIO & V. SISON & PEDRO & C. GONZALES & AND ROBERT & S. KENNEDY 1996: 13
LEVITON, ALAN 1965: 131
1965
Loc

Ophites tessellatus, Taylor, 1922a:124

TAYLOR, EDWARD 1922: 124
1922
Loc

Ophites aulicus

TAYLOR, EDWARD 1922: 120
1922
Loc

Lycodon aulicus capucina

BOETTGER, OSKAR 1898: 37
1898
Loc

Lycodon tessellatus Jan, 1863b:96

OTA, HIDETOSHI 2000: 301
LANZA, BENEDITTO 1999: 89
LEVITON, ALAN 1965: 130
JAN, GEORG 1863: 96
1863
Loc

Lycodon capucinus H. Boie, 1826b:238

BOIE, FRIEDRICH 1827: 551
BOIE, HEINRICH 1826: 238
1826
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