Coelognathus cf. subradiatus (Schlegel, 1837)

Figueroa, Alex, Low, Martyn E. Y. & Lim, Kelvin K. P., 2023, Singapore’s herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution, Zootaxa 5287 (1), pp. 1-378 : 267

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5287.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:78E23714-8973-4755-BC94-0A751D7D2B37

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7968263

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/88502B73-FE90-B97C-FF6B-46447D5B0AD3

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Coelognathus cf. subradiatus
status

 

Coelognathus cf. subradiatus View in CoL —Erroneous.

Sunda Rat Snake

( Figure 27C & 27D View FIGURE 27 )

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 View FIGURE 27 ). 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)

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Reptilia

Order

Squamata

Family

Colubridae

Genus

Coelognathus

Loc

Coelognathus cf. subradiatus

Figueroa, Alex, Low, Martyn E. Y. & Lim, Kelvin K. P. 2023
2023
Loc

Coluber hodgsonii

Hanitsch, R. 1912: 16
Flower, S. S. 1899: 668
Hanitsch, R. 1898: 10
1898
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