Ptyas carinata ( Günther, 1858 )

Leviton, Alan E., Siler, Cameron D., Weinell, Jeffrey L. & Brown, Rafe M., 2018, Synopsis of the Snakes of the Philippines, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 64 (14), pp. 399-568 : 443-444

Ptyas carinata ( Günther, 1858)

Keel-scaled Rat Snake

Coryphodon carinatus Günther, 1858:112 .

Zaocys carinatus, Günther, 1864:156 .— Taylor, 1922a:136, pl. 12, figs. 2, 4.— Leviton, 1983:202. Ptyas carinatus, Malkmus, Manthey, Vogel, Hoffmann, and Kosuch, 2002:360 .

Ptyas carinata, David and Das 2004 .— Wallach, Williams, and Boundy, 2014:604.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE SPECIMEN (S).— restricted to Borneo by Günther (1864:256). Lectotype:

BMNH 1946.1 .11.35 (designated by Günther [1864:256]). PHILIPPINE DISTRIBUTION ( Map 32A [p. 143]).— Palawan. GENERAL DISTRIBUTION (OTHER THAN PHILIPPINES).— Widely distributed throughout southeast-

ern Asia (see Wallach, Williams, and Boundy [2014:604] for details). CONSERVATION STATUS [IUCN].— Least Concern [2016] ver. 3.1.

Ptyas luzonensis ( Günther, 1873) Photo figures 57–59 Smooth-scaled Rat Snake; Smooth-scaled Mountain Rat Snake; Philippine Rat Snake

Zaocys luzonensis Günther, 1873:165 , pl. 18.— Taylor, 1922a:135, pl. 12, figs. 1, 3, pl. 13, figs. 1– 2; 1922c:296; 1922d:138.— Leviton, 1983:201.— Ross and Gonzales, 1992:68.— Diesmos, Brown, and Gee, 2004:71.— Gaulke, 2001:30, fig. 10; 2011:316; 2011:316–317, figs. 214– 216, 218.— Ferner, Brown, Sison, and Kennedy, 2001:53 [20].— Diesmos, Brown, and Gee, 2004:71.

Ptyas luzonensis, McLeod, Siler, Diesmos, Diesmos, Garcia, Arkonceo, Balaquit, Uy, Villaseran, Yarra, and Brown, 2011:188 , fig. 8C.— Brown, Oliveros, Siler, Fernandez, Welton, Buenavente. Diesmos, and Diesmos, 2012:483.— Devan-Song and Brown, 2012:14, fig. 33.— Brown, Siler, Oliveros, Welton, Rock, Swab, Van Weerd, van Beijnen, Jose, Rodriguez, Jose, and Diesmos, 2013:86, fig. 92.— Wallach, Williams, and Boundy, 2014:606.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE SPECIMEN (S).— Luzon Id., Philippines. Holotype: BMNH 1946.1 .7.89.

PHILIPPINE DISTRIBUTION (ENDEMIC) ( Map 32B [p. 143]).— Catanduanes, Leyte, Luzon (Prov.: Albay, Aurora, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines del Norte, Camarines del Sur , Ilocos Norte, Kalinga, Laguna, Quezon, Sorsogon, Zambales), Negros, Panay, Polillo .

REMARKS.— Preliminary review suggests that the taxonomic relationships of the West Visayan (Negros, Panay) and Mindanao PAIC (Leyte Id.) populations should be reviewed.

CONSERVATION STATUS [IUCN].— Least Concern [2016] ver. 3.1.

Stegonotus muelleri Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril, 1854:682 Photo figures 60–61 Müller’s Ratsnake

Stegonotus mülleri Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril, 1854:682 .

Spilotes samarensis Peters, 1861:685 (type locality: “ Cubo-Cubo, Insel Samar ”; holotype: ZMB 4294)

Stegonotus muelleri Boulenger, 1893:367 .— Sanguila, Cobb, Siler, Diesmos Alcala, and Brown, 2016:96, fig. 71.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE SPECIMEN (S).— Samar Id., Philippines. Holotype: MNHN 848 . PHILIPPINE DISTRIBUTION (ENDEMIC) ( Map 35C [p. 146]).— Dinagat, Leyte (Prov.: Leyte, South-

ern Leyte), Mindanao (Prov.: Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Sur, Misamis

Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Surigao del Norte), Samar. REMARKS.— In his review of the Philippine species of Lycodon, Leviton (1965) commented on

Boulenger’s reference to Stegonotus muelleri (Boulenger [1893:367]) , which, according to Boulenger was based on Stegonotus mülleri Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril (1854:682) . At the time Leviton stated that he was “restricting the nominal genus Stegonotus to include but a single species, S. mülleri ” (Leviton [1965:120]) then known from Samar Island in the Philippines, as had been reported on by Boulenger, who had also included Peters’ Spilotes samarensis ( Peters [1861:685]) , also from Samar, in the synonymy of S. muelleri . Unfortunately, and at the same time, Leviton overlooked a specimen that was resident in the Stanford University collections, now at the California Academy of Sciences ( CAS-SU 13233), that bears the locality Mercedes, Samar Island, Philippines, collected 25 July 1945 by Ralph F. Annereaux. An examination of this animal and with reference to both Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril and to Boulenger, indicates that this is a much larger snake than any of the known species of Lycodon , and it likely does indeed represent a distinct group that should be recognized in the Philippines. Furthermore, recent investigations indicate that it is rather widespread throughout the northern Mindanao PAIC islands of Leyte, Samar, Dinagat, and eastern Mindanao ( Sanguila et al. [2016]).

Whether or not the Papuan species that have been assigned to the genus Stegonotus are indeed related to the Philippine species is an open question as is the possibility of differentiation between Samar-Leyte populations versus those from Mindanao (sensu Peters 1861).

CONSERVATION STATUS [IUCN].— Near Threatened [2016] ver. 3.1