Boiga melanota ( Boulenger, 1896 )

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 : 157-159

Boiga melanota ( Boulenger, 1896) — Native.

Dipsadomorphus dendrophilus var. B. (var. melanotus, Bleeker ) Boulenger, 1896: 71. Holotype: BMNH 1946.1.4.91, by original designation. Type locality: “ Sumatra ”, Indonesia; later restricted to the “East Coast of Sumatra ”, Indonesia by Brongersma (1934: 208).

Gold-ringed Cat Snake

( Figure 18D )

Singapore records.

Dipsas dendrophila — Cantor, 1847b: 923.— Cantor, 1847c: 1070, 1077.— Ģnther, 1864: 311.— Dennys, 1880a: 3.— Blanford, 1881: 215.— Davison, 1892: 89, 92.

Dipsadomorphus dendrophilus var. melanotus — Boulenger, 1896: 71.

Dipsadomorphus dendrophilus — Flower, 1896: 889.— Flower, 1899: 680.—Ridley, 1899: 199, 209 (“Sirangoon [Serangoon] River ”).—Hanitsch, 1908: 44 (Serangoon).—Hanitsch, 1914: 5 (Thomson Road).— de Rooij, 1917: 197.

Dipsadomorphus dendrophilus var. B— Hanitsch, 1898: 20.— Hanitsch, 1912b: 16.

Boiga dendrophila (non H. Boie in F. Boie, 1827)—Sworder, 1923: 66.—Sworder, 1924a: 20 (Pulau Senang).—Smith, 1930: 65.—Smith, 1943: 529.—Tweedie, 1949: 5.—Sharma, 1973: 235.—L.M. Chou et al., 1980: 71.—K. Lim, 1989b: 19 (Sime Road Forest).—K. Lim, 1989e: 38 (Sime Road Forest).— Gopalakrishnakone, 1990: 3.—K. Lim, 1990a: 8 (“pumping station road which separates Upper Peirce and Lower Peirce Reservoirs” [OUTR]).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 54.— F.L.K. Lim, 1991: 70.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 73, 147.—Wee, 1992: 74 (Lower Peirce Reservoir Park).—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—R. Subaraj, 1994: 12 (MacRitchie Golf Course Trail [MNF]; Upper Peirce West Forest).—J.K.Y. Low et al., 1994: 158.—R. Subaraj et al., 1995: 3 (Lower Peirce [LPF]).—K. Lim et al., 1995: 14 (Old Upper Thomson Road).—K. Lim, 1995: 16 (Hindhede Drive).—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 379 (Lower Peirce East Forest [LPF]; Lower Peirce West Forest [LPF]; MacRitchie North Forest; Taban & Lasia Valleys [BTNR]; Upper Peirce West Forest).— Cox et al., 1998: 75.— Das, 1998: 65.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 30.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 147.— Anonymous, 2003: 92 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).— de Lang & Vogel, 2005: 97.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 95, 160.—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2008: 264.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2008: 168.—T.M. Leong et al., 2009: 487.— Das, 2010: 261.—M.A.H. Chua, 2011: 281 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).—L.L. Grismer, 2011a: 173.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 272.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 95, 160.— Das, 2012a: 22.—M.F.C. Ng, 2012: 146 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).— Chim, 2014: 112, 113 (Saint John’s Island).—M.A.H. Chua, 2014d: 196 (“forest area west of Mandai Lake Road” [Mandai]).—Wallach et al., 2014: 102.—Weinstein et al., 2014: 214.—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 211.—M.A.H. Chua, 2015b: 187 (Lower Peirce Reservoir).—R. Subaraj, 2015: 55 (Mandai Range Forest).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 5 ( Singapore Zoo).—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2016: 181 (Pulau Tekong).— Das, 2018: 29.— Mao et al., 2019: 115.—Sankar & Harrick, 2019: 48.—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 161, 180 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve; Pulau Ubin).—M.L. Kwak & A. Ng, 2022: 929.

Boiga (Dipsadomorphus) dendrophilus — Buddle, 1929: 22, 30 (Sembawang Naval Base [= SML]).

Boiga dendrophila melanota — de Haas, 1950: 581.—F.L.K. Lim & M.T.-M. Lee, 1989: 116.—E.K. Chua, 1993: 99.— David & Vogel, 1996: 65.— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 321.— Iskandar & Colijn, 2001: 38.— Charlton, 2020: 142.

Boiga dendrophilia [sic]—E.K. Chua, 2015: 136.

Boiga melanota —K.H. Koh & Chanani-Parikh, 2021: 2.

Remarks. In a recent study, Weinell et al. (2020b) showed that subspecies of B. dendrophila are paraphyletic and elevated B. dendrophila melanota to full species. Based on this redesignation, populations from Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia, southern Thailand, Vietnam and Bangka, Belitung, Riau Archipelago, and Sumatra in Indonesia are now recognised as B. melanota (see David & Vogel 1996). Cantor (1847b) first reported B. melanota from Singapore, likely from specimens collected by Hardwicke or Dennys ( Boulenger 1896). Ridley (1899) and Sworder (1923) described B. melanota as very common, particularly along mangroves and the Serangoon River.After Buddle (1929) collected two at SNB and Tweedie (1949) received a specimen from Romer, B. melanota was next recorded 40 years later ( Table 2 ) when one was seen at SRF on 30 June 1989 (Lim 1989b). Boiga melanota was reported several times during the 1990s (e.g., Lim 1990a; Subaraj 1994; Lim et al. 1995), and Teo & Rajathurai (1997) recorded 13 individuals during their study; yet, they categorised it as rare, a perception shared by Baker & Lim (2012). However, given these records and personal records, we choose to recognise B. melanota as common. Being a species associated with aquatic habitats, particularly mangroves, B. melanota is known to inhabit several of Singapore’s offshore islands, including Pulau Pawai (ZRC.2.4487), Pulau Senang (Sworder 1924a), PU (Teo & Thomas 2019), PT ( Lim et al. 2016), Saint John’s Island ( Chim 2014), and Pulau Semakau (Ng 2012).

Occurrence. Wide-ranging. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Near-Threatened.

Conservation priority. Moderate.

IUCN conservation status. Not Evaluated.

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH 1860.3 .19.1235 (no date) , BMNH 1965 (no date) , ZRC.2.4494 (02-Jun-1919) , ZRC.2.4491 (Sep-1927) , ZRC.2.6363 (1986); Alligator Island [= Pulau Pawai] : ZRC.2.4487 (no date); Bukit Kalang Service Reservoir [ SRF] : ZRC.2.6914 (12-May-2010) ; Central Catchment : ZRC.2.7232 (02-Feb-2007) ; Changi : ZRC.2.4489 (Feb-1928) ; Jalan Lada Hitam : ZRC.2.6794 (26-Nov-2008) ; MacRitchie Forest [ LF] : ZRC.2.7231 (01-Nov-2006) ; Mandai Road Track 7 : ZRC.2.7303 (02-Jul-2018) ; Nee Soon Swamp Forest : ZRC.2.7086 (22-Nov-2014) ; Old Upper Thomson Road : ZRC.2.5538, ZRC.2.6133 (09-Oct-2002) , ZRC.2.6094 (18-Sep-2004) , ZRC.2.7064 (07- Apr-2014) ; Pulau Senang: ZRC.2.4484 (Jun-1951) ; Pulau Ubin: ZRC.2.4488 (13-Mar-1921) ; Sime Road Forest : ZRC.2.5626 (15-Jan-2003) ; St. John’s Island : ZRC.2.7010 (21-May-2013) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): AMNH, CAS, MCZ, NMW, SMNS, UMMZ, USNM, ZMO.

Singapore localities. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Changi—Chestnut Nature Park—Hindhede Drive—Jalan Lada Hitam—Lornie Forest—Lower Peirce Forest—Lower Peirce Reservoir Park—MacRitchie North Forest— Mandai (not specified)—Mandai Range Forest—Mandai Road Track 7—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Old Upper Thomson Road—Pulau Pawai—Pulau Semakau—Pulau Senang—Pulau Tekong—Pulau Ubin— Saint John’s Island—Sembcorp Marine Ltd.*—Serangoon—Sime Road Forest— Singapore Zoo—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve—Sungei Serangoon—Thomson Road—Upper Peirce West Forest.

Genus Coelognathus Fitzinger, 1843 (1 species)

Calopeltis (Coelognathus) Fitzinger, 1843: 26 (type species: Coluber radiatus H. Boie in F. Boie, 1827, by original designation; gender masculine).

Figures

FIGURE 18. A) Boiga cynodon, B) Boiga drapiezii, C) Boiga jaspidea, D) Boiga melanota, E) Coelognathus flavolineatus, F) Gongylosoma baliodeira, G) Gonyosoma oxycephalum, and H) Liopeltis tricolor. Photographs by: Alex Figueroa [A, D, G], Kelvin K.P. Lim [B, C, H], Norman T.-L. Lim [E], and Nick Baker [F].