Lipinia vittigera (Boulenger, 1895)

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 : 124

Lipinia vittigera (Boulenger, 1895) — Native.

Lygosoma vittigerum Boulenger, 1895b:615 . Holotype: MSNG55855 , by original designation.Type locality: “on Sereinu (Sipora), Mentawei Islands” (= Mentawai Archipelago), Sumatra, Indonesia.

Striped Tree Skink

( Figure 15A ; Rifle Range Nature Park)

Singapore records.

Lipinia cf. vittigera —K.P. Lim, 1995: 17 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 387 (Main Road [BTNR]; Night Safari; Taban & Lasia Valleys [BTNR]).— Davison, 2011: 110.

Lipinia vittigera —K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 149.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 85, 160.—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2008: 265.—L.L. Grismer, 2011a: 149.—L.L. Grismer, 2011b: 607, 608 (Bukit Timah [BTNR].—T.M. Leong & J.W.M. Gan, 2011: 29.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 85, 160.—M.A.H. Chua & Morley, 2013: 78 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).—K.W. Chan, 2014b: 57 (Dairy Farm Loop [BTNR]).—Goldberg & L.L. Grismer, 2014: 697.—E.K. Chua, 2015: 69.—S. Subaraj, 2015: 6 ( Singapore Zoo).— Cheong, 2019: 135 (Night Safari).—Poyarkov et al., 2019a: 368, 374.— R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 159, 180 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve; Night Safari).—L.N. Chin, 2022: 1 (Hindhede Nature Park; Windsor Nature Park).— Janssen & Sy, 2022: 167.

Remarks. A recent examination of the L. vittigera complex showed that populations from Thai-Malay Peninsula south of the Isthmus of Kra and Sundaland are L. vittigera sensu stricto (see Poyarkov et al. 2019a). Lipinia vittigera was first discovered in Singapore on 31 May 1995 crossing the main road at BTNR, after which a second individual was also found at BTNR shortly thereafter on 29 June 1995 (Lim 1995). Only ten more specimens of L. vittigera have been reported, five from BTNR (Teo & Rajathurai 1997; Chua & Morley 2013; Chan 2014b), three from Night Safari (Teo & Rajathurai 1997; Cheong 2019; Teo & Thomas 2019), and two seen moving along boardwalks at HNP on 16 March 2022 and at WNP on 12 April 2022 (Chin, 2022). In addition, Figure 15A was photographed at RRNP on 27 July 2017 (A. Figueroa pers. obs.), and ZRC.2.4575 was collected from NSSF on 13 February 1999. These records indicate that L. vittigera occurs all throughout CNR and in the adjacent Nature Parks and forests. Lipinia vittigera is considered rare in Singapore ( Baker & Lim 2012), and this undoubtedly owes to its arboreal habits ( Grismer 2011b).

Occurrence. Restricted to CNR and surrounding Nature Parks and forests. Uncommon.

Singapore conservation status. Endangered.

Conservation priority. Highest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2018].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Nee Soon Swamp Forest : ZRC.2.4575 (13-Feb-1999).

Additional Singapore museum specimens. No specimens.

Singapore localities. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Hindhede Nature Park—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Night Safari—Rifle Range Nature Park — Singapore Zoo—Windsor Nature Park.

Genus Subdoluseps Freitas, Datta-Roy, Karanth, Grismer & Siler, 2019 (1 species)

Subdoluseps Freitas, Datta-Roy, Karanth, Grismer & Siler, 2019: 1088 (type species: Eumeces bowringii Ģnther, 1864 , by monotypy; gender masculine).

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].