Dendrelaphis kopsteini van Rooijen & Vogel, 2007

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 : 144-145

Dendrelaphis kopsteini van Rooijen & Vogel, 2007 — Native.

Dendrelaphis kopsteini Vogel & van Rooijen, 2007: 25 , 34–43, figs. 9–14. Holotype: MNHN-RA 1962.1052, by original designation; paratypes (7): MNHN-RA 1893.147, 1962.1051, 1997.6579, QSMI Q 531 (formerly PSGV 45 ), RMNH.RENA.40117 (formerly PSGV 777 ), ZMH R08445 (formerly PSGV 269 ), and ZSM 277 /1909, by original designation. Type locality: “‘fleuve Endau, état de Johore’, Endau river , State of Johore, Federation of Malaysia ”.

Red-necked Bronzeback

( Figure 17A )

Singapore records.

Dendrophis formosus — Flower, 1896: 883 (“Crangi” [= Changi]).— Hanitsch, 1898: 20.— Flower, 1899: 670.—Ridley, 1899: 208.— Boulenger, 1912: 146.— Hanitsch, 1912b: 16.— de Rooij, 1917: 64.— Sworder, 1923: 64.—Sworder, 1924a: 20 (Pulau Ubin).

Ahaetulla formosa formosa — de Haas, 1950: 535.

Ahaetulla formosa — Harman, 1961: 183.— Choo-Toh et al., 1985: 119.

Dendrelaphis formosus (non-H. Boie in F. Boie, 1827)—F. Lim, 1988: 4 (Kent Ridge [NUS]).—K. Lim, 1989e: 38 (Sime Road Forest).—K.P. Lim, 1989f: 63 (Lower Path [BTNR]).—F.L.K. Lim & M.T.- M. Lee, 1989: 115.—K. Lim, 1990a: 8 (Bukit Batok Park [BBNP]).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 54.—F.L.K. Lim, 1991: 61.—K.K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1992: 6 (Neo Tiew Road [LCK]; Old Upper Thomson Road; Rifle Range Road; Upper Peirce Reservoir; Upper Thomson Road; Yio Chu Kang Road-Old Upper Thomson Road [LPF]).—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 64 146.— Wee, 1992: 74 (Lower Peirce Reservoir Park).—K.K.P. Lim, 1993b: 2 (Lower Peirce Reservoir Road [LPRP]; Neo Tiew Road [LCK]; Old Upper Thomson Road; Thomson Road).—K.K.P. Lim & Subaraj, 1994: 6 (Pulau Ubin; Rifle Range Road; Old Upper Thomson Road; Venus Drive [WNP]).—K.K.P. Lim & Subaraj, 1994: 7 (Pasir Ris Park).—R. Subaraj, 1994: 11, 12 (Bukit Kalang [SRF]; Mandai Track 15; Rifle Range Road; Sime Road Forest).—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—L.M. Chou, 1995: 148.—R. Subaraj et al., 1995: 3 (MacRitchie North [MNF]; Mandai Track 15; Upper Peirce Park Service Road [NSSF]).—K. Lim et al., 1995: 13 (Island Country Club Road [SICC]; Mandai Road; Mandai Track 15; Old Upper Thomson Road; Rifle Range Road; Ulu Sembawang Track 1; Upper Peirce Reservoir Park Service Road [NSSF]; Upper Thomson Road).—K. Lim, 1995: 15 (Golf Course Link [MNF]).— David & Vogel, 1996: 75.— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 337.—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 380 (Lower Peirce [LPF]).—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 31.— Iskandar & Colijn, 2001: 53.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 147.—T.M. Leong, 2005: 42 (MacRitchie Tree Top Trail [SRF]).

Dendrelaphis kopsteini Vogel & Rooijen, 2007: 34 .—Das, 2007: 220.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 100, 161.—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2008: 264.—van Rooijen & Vogel, 2008: 190, 197.— Das, 2010: 275.— K.K.P. Lim & Cheong, 2011: 9.—O’Dempsey, 2011: 22.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 100, 161.— Das, 2012a: 36.— Davison et al., 2012: 15.— Ang et al., 2012: 57 (Hort Park).—Wallach et al., 2014: 218.—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 189.— McCleary & Ichtiarani, 2015: 303 (Bukit Batok Nature Park).—L. Ng, 2015: 23 (Lower Peirce Reservoir).—R. Subaraj, 2015: 25 (Mandai Range Forest).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 4 (Stephen Lee Woods [= RPN]).—E.K. Chua et al., 2016: 111.—N. Baker, 2018: 66 (Lower Peirce Forest).— Das, 2018: 44.—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2019: 134 (Kent Ridge Park; National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus).—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 147, 162, 181 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).—N. Baker, 2020a: 13 (Lorong Pelita [TNP]).—N. Baker, 2020d: 217 (Thomson Nature Park).— Charlton, 2020: 160.—N. Kim, 2020c: 152.—E.K. Chua, 2022: 57 (Dairy Farm Nature Park).

Remarks. As specified under D. cyanochloris and D. formosus , D. kopsteini was described as a separate species from D. formosus (see Vogel & van Rooijen 2007), and the first report of D. formosus from Singapore actually is of D. kopsteini (see Flower 1896). Due to this confusion, we acknowledge that some records of D. kopsteini prior to 2007 may actually be of D. formosus . As D. formosus is restricted to CNR and the surrounding Nature Parks and forests, it is fairly safe to conclude that early records outside of CNR are D. kopsteini (e.g., Lim 1988, 1990a; Lim & Subaraj 1994). The first actual record of D. kopsteini from Singapore is specimen MNHN-RA-1893.147 (one of the paratypes) which was collected on 13 November 1893. Dendrelaphis kopsteini went unreported for 37 years ( Table 2 ) between Sworder (1924a), who saw one at PU, and Harman (1961) who recorded one. However, LKCNHM has two specimens from 1938 and 1948. Dendrelaphis kopsteini is wide-ranging, but not as widespread as D. caudolineatus and D. pictus , and is the third most common bronzeback after these two species.

Occurrence. Wide-ranging. Uncommon.

Singapore conservation status. Near-Threatened.

Conservation priority. Moderate.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2013].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : ZRC.2.3754 (no date), ZRC.2.3752 (1899), ZRC.2.3769 (1900), ZRC.2.3783 (Jun-1938) , ZRC.2.3793 (1948); Adam Drive : ZRC.2.6089 (25- Sep-2004) ; Bukit Batok Park: ZRC.2.2663 (15-Apr-1990) ; Bukit Timah Nature Reserve : ZRC.2.5535 (10-Jul-2002) ; Central Catchment Nature Reserve : ZRC.2.6054 (no date); Central Nature Reserve : ZRC.2.6316 (2006); Hindhede Drive : ZRC.2.6064 (no date); Impounding [MacRitchie] Reservoir : ZRC.2.3761 (22-Feb-1900) ; Island Country Club Road: ZRC.2.6074 (02-Jul-2004) , ZRC.2.6173 (28- Dec-2005) , ZRC.2.6315 (04-Oct-2006) , ZRC.2.6807 (03-Feb-2009) , ZRC.2.6823 (28-May-2009) ; Jurong Road: ZRC.2.3768 (04-Jul-1922) ; Kranji: ZRC.2.3787 (10-Feb-1923) ; Old Upper Thomson Road : ZRC.2.6307 (16-Sep-2005) , ZRC.2.6313 (10-Sep-2006) , ZRC.2.6723 (07-Aug-2008) , ZRC.2.7117 (10- Jan-2015) , ZRC.2.7120 (13-Mar-2015) ; Rifle Range Road: ZRC.2.2402 (Dec-1988) , ZRC.2.6314 (12- Sep-2006) , ZRC.2.6853 (07-Oct-2009) ; Upper Peirce Reservoir Road : ZRC.2.6068 (04-Jun-2004) , ZRC.2.6791 (12-Nov-2008) , ZRC.2.7033 (07-Jan-2014) , ZRC.2.7065 (07-Apr-2014) , ZRC.2.7084 (21- Oct-2014) ; Upper Thomson Road : ZRC.2.6039 (05-May-2004) ; Venus Drive [ WNP: ZRC.2.6787 (28- Oct-2008).

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): MNHN 1893.147 (paratype), NMI ; Bukit Timah Nature Reserve : UWBM ; Mandai Lake Road: UWBM .

Singapore localities. Adam Drive—Bukit Batok Nature Park—Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Changi—Dairy Farm Nature Park—Hindhede Drive—Hort Park—Jurong Road—Kent Ridge Park—Kranji—Lim Chu Kang—Lower Peirce Forest—Lower Peirce Reservoir Park—MacRitchie Reservoir—MacRitchie North Forest—Mandai Lake Road—Mandai Range Forest—Mandai Road—Mandai Track 15—National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Old Upper Thomson Road— Pasir Ris Park—Pulau Ubin—Rainforest Park North—Rifle Range Road—Sime Road Forest— Singapore Island Country Club—Thomson Nature Park—Ulu Sembawang Forest—Upper Peirce Reservoir—Upper Peirce Reservoir Road—Upper Thomson Road—Windsor Nature Park.

Figures

FIGURE 17. A) Dendrelaphis kopsteini, B) Dendrelaphis pictus, C) Dryophiops rubescens, D) Calamaria albiventer, E) Calamaria lovii, F) Calamaria lumbricoidea, G) Calamaria schlegeli, and H) Pseudorabdion longiceps. Photographs by: Law Ing Sind [A, E], Alex Figueroa [B, G], Emmanuel Goh [C], Evan S.H. Quah [D], and Kelvin K.P. Lim [F, H].