Python brongersmai (Stull, 1938)

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 : 221-222

Python brongersmai (Stull, 1938) — Native; Indeterminate.

Python curtus brongersmai Stull, 1938: 297–298 . Holotype: MCZ R-29779, by original designation. Type locality: “ Singapore, Malay Peninsula ”.

Brongersma’s Short-tailed Python ( Figure 25D & 25E )

Singapore records.

Python curtus — Dennys, 1880a: 3.— Blanford, 1881: 216, 222.— Dennys, 1882: 162.— Boulenger, 1890a: 246.— Boulenger, 1890c: 433.— Davison, 1892: 88, 89.— Boulenger, 1893: 89.— Flower, 1896: 877.— Hanitsch, 1898: 19.— Flower, 1899: 656.—Ridley, 1899: 207.— Hanitsch, 1912b: 15.— de Rooij, 1917: 28.—Sworder, 1923: 59.—F.L.K. Lim & M.T.-M. Lee, 1989: 115.—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 53.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 144.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.— Chan-ard et al., 1999: 38.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 145.

Python curtus brongersmai —Stull, 1938: 297.— Brongersma, 1947: 305.— de Haas, 1950: 522.—Taylor, 1965: 670.— David & Vogel, 1996: 40.— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 296.

Python curtus curtus — David & Vogel, 1996: 40.

Python brongersmai — Iskandar & Colijn, 2001: 30.— Keogh et al., 2001: 120.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 166.— Das, 2010: 258.— Zug et al., 2011: 115.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 166.— Das, 2012a: 16.—Wallach et al., 2014: 619.—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 154.— Das, 2018: 22.— Charlton, 2020: 68.

Remarks. Singapore is the type locality of P. brongersmai ( Table 1 ) which Stull (1938) first described as a subspecies of P. curtus . In Singapore, P. brongersmai is known from only nine specimens, all collected prior to 1908. The earliest exemplar is the type-specimen deposited at MCZ collected by Kloss in 1877. However, the earliest reported record comes from Blanford (1881) who examined one at the Raffles Museum. In his account, Blanford (1881) also noted that Dennys stated that he’s only seen two specimens of P. brongersmai , one of which he kept in captivity that escaped. Davison (1892) spoke of two he received when he was curator of the Raffles Museum, one was a live individual which was donated by Holmes of the Trafalgar Estate (a tapioca plantation in Seletar) that was kept alive for 19 months. Boulenger (1893) examined a stuffed specimen at NHMUK, which was collected in 1840. One specimen deposited at CAS was collected by Thompson, but has no date. It is likely the specimen was collected in August 1908 since numerous specimens deposited at CAS by Thompson share that date. Currently, LKCNHM has three specimens, one with no data, one from SBG taken on 16 December 1901, and one from BTNR taken on 16 February 1903 ( Fig. 25D ). Based on its large size and no records since at least 1908, P. brongersmai is considered extirpated in Singapore ( Baker & Lim 2012).

Occurrence. Known from nine specimens predating 1908. Likely extirpated.

Singapore conservation status. Not Evaluated.

Conservation priority. Immediate priority, if rediscovered.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2012].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH 1840.3 .9.46 (no date) , ZRC.2.3089 (no date); Botanic Gardens : ZRC.2.3090 (16-Dec-1901); Bukit Timah : ZRC.2.3091 (16-Feb-1903) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): CAS, MCZ 29779 [holotype] .

Singapore localities. Bukit Timah (not specified)*—Singapore Botanic Gardens*.

Figures

FIGURE 25. A) Asthenodipsas laevis, B) Pareas margaritophorus, C) Malayopython reticulatus, D) Python brongersmai, E) Python brongersmai, F) Argyrophis muelleri, G) Indotyphlops braminus, and H) Ramphotyphlops lineatus. Photographs by: Evan S.H. Quah [A, E], Alex Figueroa [B–C, G], Kelvin K.P. Lim [D, H], and Nick Baker [F].