Lycodon sealei Leviton, 1955

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 : 440

Lycodon sealei Leviton, 1955

Photo figures 48–50

Seale’s Banded Asian Wolf Snake

Ophites subcinctus, Taylor, 1922a:124 , text-figs. 12a–b, pl. 8.

Lycodon subcinctus, Wallach, Williams, and Boundy, 2014:396 (part).

Lycodon subcinctus sealei Leviton, 1955:195 ; 1965c:128.— Lanza, 1999:89, 96.— Siler, Oliveros, Santanen, and Brown, 2013:271.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE SPECIMEN (S).— Puerto Princesa , Palawan Id., Philippines. Holotype: CAS 15819 .

PHILIPPINE DISTRIBUTION.— Palawan.

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION (OTHER THAN PHILIPPINES) ( Map 23A [p. 134]).— Possibly also northern Borneo (Mt. Kina Balu [also as Kinabalu], Sandakan, Sungai).

REMARKS.— Siler et al. (2013) used a multilocus phylogenetic study to demonstrate a substantial genetic divergence between L. subcinctus from Malaysia, Thailand, and Palawan. This plus the highly distinctive (reduced) banding pattern endemic to Palawan, suggests that this western Philippine lineage ought to be recognized as a distinct species.

CONSERVATION STATUS [IUCN].— The conservation status of Lycodon sealei has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List [2016] ver. 3.1, but IUCN notes that it is listed in the Catalogue of Life.

Figures

FIGURE 48. Lycodon sealei (all black adult) (Puerto Princessa, Palawan Id.) (KU 309447). Photo © RMB.

FIGURE 49. Lycodon sealei (head) (Puerto Princessa, Palawan Id.) (KU 309447). Photo © RMB.