Acrochordus granulatus (Schneider, 1799)

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 : 131-133

Acrochordus granulatus (Schneider, 1799) — Native.

Hydrus Granulatus Schneider, 1799: 243–244 . Type material: None designated; type material originally at Lampi Museum (= MLH) now apparently lost, according to McDowell (1979: 79). Type locality: None stated/traced; later designated as “India” by Smith (1943: 134).

Banded File Snake

( Figure 15G )

Singapore records.

Chersydrus granulatus — Gray, 1842b: 63.—Sclater, 1891a: 45.— Boulenger, 1893: 174.— Flower, 1896: 878.— Boettger, 1898: 16.— Flower, 1899: 658.—Ridley, 1899: 198, 207 (Botanical Gardens).— Boulenger, 1912: 116.— de Rooij, 1917: 43.—Sworder, 1923: 60.—Sworder, 1924a: 20 (Pulau Sudong).—K. Lim & F. Lim, 1988b: 50 (Yishun).—F.L.K. Lim & M.T.-M. Lee, 1989: 115.— K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 53.—F.L.K. Lim, 1991: 53.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.

Chersydrus annulatus — Gray, 1849: 61.

Acrochordus granulatus —L.M. Chou et al., 1980: 71.—Subharaj & K.K.P. Lim, 1991a: 3 (Mandai Mangroves).—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 49, 144.—J.K.Y. Low et al., 1994: 158.—K. Lim, 1995: 15 (Sungei Mandai Kechil).— David & Vogel, 1996: 44.— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 296.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 29.—P.K.L. Ng & Sivasothi, 1999: 145.— Iskandar & Colijn, 2001: 34.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 145.— de Lang & Vogel, 2005: 54.—E.K. Chua, 2007b: 36 (Chek Jawa [Pulau Ubin]).—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2007: 80.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 92, 160.— P.K.L. Ng et al., 2008: 167.—M.F.C. Ng, 2009: 59, 109 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2010: 110.—M.A.H. Chua, 2011: 281.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 313.—T.H. Ng, 2011: 91–93 (Changi Beach; Lower Seletar Reservoir; Lim Chu Kang Mangroves; Siglap; Simpang; Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve; Tanjong Katong; Telok Kurau; Tuas).—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 92, 160.—M.F.C. Ng, 2012: 69 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).— Chim, 2014: 112.—I.S. Law, 2014a: 211 (Sungei Tampines [Pasir Ris Park Mangroves]).—Thomas, Barnett & Zinny, 2014: 191 (Sungei Tampines [Pasir Ris Park Mangroves]).—Wallach et al., 2014: 7.—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 156.— Groenewoud, 2015a: 40 (Sembawang Park).—J. Teo & M.D.Y. Khoo, 2016: 182–184 (Kallang Basin [ Marina Reservoir ]).— Beng, 2017: 84 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).— de Lang, 2017: 47.— Charlton, 2020: 74.—L.M. Chou et al., 2020: 84–85.— Iesa, 2021: 1 (Pasir Ris Beach).

Remarks. Gray (1842b) first reported A. granulatus in Singapore based on a museum specimen deposited at NHMUK by Hardwicke ( Gray 1849). Gray (1849) later used the specimen as the type (syntype) specimen to describe Chersydrus annulatus ( Table 1 ), a subjective synonym of A. granulatus . Additional early specimens include a specimen at ZSI (Sclater 1891a), at SMF ( Boettger 1898), one Ridley (1899) received that was collected from a road near SBG, and one Sworder (1924a) collected at Pulau Sudong on 24 May 1923. The next report for A. granulatus comes 57 years later ( Table 2 ) when Chou (1980) comments that it is found in mangroves. Concurrently, Voris and Jeffries collected numerous specimens from Jurong Prawn Pond, a kelong off Lim Chu Kang, and from Tuas during their sea snake study during the early 1980s (see Elapidae below). Their data shows that A. granulatus is common in Singapore, having caught upwards of 22 specimens in one day. Primarily an occupant of marine habitats, freshwater populations exist in Singapore due to the creation of reservoirs (Ng 2011; Teo & Khoo 2016). A recently reported record documented mating behaviour of this species at Pasir Ris Beach on 15 August 2021 ( Iesa 2021).

Occurrence. Wide-ranging. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Near-Threatened.

Conservation priority. Lowest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2022].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH 1946.1 .1.40 (no date [syntype of Chersydrus annulatus ); Changi Beach: ZRC.2.6081 (19-Jan-2004) , ZRC.2.7400 (04-Jul-2019); Kranji : ZRC.2.2253 (25-Mar-1964); Kranji Mangroves : ZRC.2.2252 (no date); Lim Chu Kang : ZRC.2.5373 (30-Mar-1982); Lim Chu Kang Mangroves : ZRC.2.3466– ZRC.2.3468 (27-Dec-1995); Lower Seletar Reservoir : ZRC.2.6808 (25-Feb-2009); Mandai Mangroves : ZRC.2.3278 (28-Aug-1991) , ZRC.2.7087 (05-Jul-2014) [mudflats]; Pulau Sudong : ZRC.2.3120 (24-May-1923); Punggol : ZRC.2.2254 (15-Jan-1982); Siglap : BMNH (no #) (no date), ZRC.2.3115– ZRC.2.3117 (27-Jun-1933) , ZRC.2.3118 (1938); Simpang : ZRC.2.6082 (13-Aug-2004); Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve : ZRC.2.6936– ZRC.2.6937 (20- May-2011); Tanjong Katong : ZRC.2.3113– ZRC.2.3114 (03-Nov-1919); Telok Kurau : ZRC.2.3119 (29- Jun-1933); Tuas : ZRC.2.2183– ZRC.2.2190, ZRC.2.2612– ZRC.2.2662 (20-Mar-1984) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): BPBM, FMNH, MCZ, NMW, QM, UMMZ; Siglap: CAS; Tuas: LSUMZ.

Singapore localities. Changi Beach—Jurong Prawn Ponds—Kranji—Kranji Mangroves—Lim Chu Kang— Lim Chu Kang Mangroves—Lower Seletar Reservoir—Mandai Mangroves— Marina Reservoir —Pasir Ris Beach—Pasir Ris Park Mangroves—Pulau Semakau—Pulau Sudong—Pulau Ubin—Punggol— Sembawang Park—Siglap—Simpang—Singapore Botanic Gardens*—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve— Sungei Mandai Kechil—Tanjong Katong—Telok Kurau—Tuas—Yishun.

Family Colubridae Oppel, 1811 (42 species)

Colubrini Oppel, 1811: 47, 50, 69 (type genus Coluber Linnaeus, 1758 ).

Subfamily Chrysopeleinae Cope, 1893 (12 species)

Chrysopeleinae Cope, 1893 : 481 (type genus Chrysopelea H. Boie in F. Boie, 1826 [see Figueroa, 2022: 595).

Genus Ahaetulla Link, 1807 (3 species)

Ahaetulla Link, 1807: 73–74 (type species: Coluber mycterizans Linnaeus, 1758 , by subsequent designation by Meise & Hennig, 1932: 296; gender feminine).

Figures

FIGURE 15. A) Lipinia vittigera, B) Subdoluseps bowringii, C) Tytthoscincus temasekensis, D) Varanus dumerilii, E) Varanus nebulosus, F) Varanus salvator, G) Acrochordus granulatus, and H) Ahaetulla fasciolata. Photographs by:Alex Figueroa [A–B, F], Shivaram Rasu [C], Law Ing Sind [D, G], Thio Hui Bing [E], and Lena S.Y. Chow [H].