Dendrelaphis haasi van Rooijen & Vogel, 2008

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 : 143-144

Dendrelaphis haasi van Rooijen & Vogel, 2008 — Native.

Dendrelaphis haasi van Rooijen & Vogel, 2008b: 101 , 108–113, figs. 4, 5A–D. Holotype: RMNH. RENA.5507, by original designation; paratypes (17): MNHN-RA 1891.0073, NMW 23665 :1– 3, 23685:1, 23685:7, RMNH.RENA.5221, 5493, 8999, 40106 (5), 11412, ZMA 21559–60, and 21565, by original designation. Type locality: “Nias”, Indonesia .

Haas’s Bronzeback

( Figure 16H )

Singapore records.

Dendrelaphis haasi —K.K.P. Lim & Cheong, 2011: 9–12 (Lower Peirce Reservoir boardwalk [LPF]; Upper Seletar Reservoir Park).—L.K. Wang et al., 2012: 250.—S.H. Yeo, 2013: 113 (MacRitchie Reservoir, “forest at northern shore” [TRF]).—C. Tan, 2014: 113 (Venus Loop [WNP]).—I.S. Law, C. Lee & Serin, 2016: 132.—Sankar & M.F.C. Ng, 2016b: 104 (Venus Loop [WNP]).— de Lang, 2017: 134.— Charlton, 2020: 159.

Remarks. In examining specimens of D. pictus, van Rooijen & Vogel (2008) described D. haas i as a new species on the basis of several morphological characters. Dendrelaphis haasi was first recorded in Singapore in 2011 based on two museum specimens at LKCNHM and from photographs of two live specimens ( Lim & Cheong 2011). The two specimens are ZRC.2.3744 which was collected by Lee Kit Soon from an unknown locality in April 1935 and ZRC.2.3760 which is dated “before 1940”. The first live individual was photographed on 11 March 2009 at LPF, marking a rediscovery of at least 69 years after the second museum specimen ( Lim & Cheong 2011). The second live individual was photographed on 16 October 2010 at USRP ( Lim & Cheong 2011). Since then, three additional observations of D. haasi were documented, one at TRF on 9 March 2013 (Yeo 2013), and two at Venus Loop on 14 September 2014 (Tan 2014) and on 3 April 2016 (Sankar & Ng 2016). The individual illustrated in Figure 16H was seen at WNP on 20 July 2020 (A. Figueroa pers. obs.). Due to modest similarities to D. pictus , there is the possibility that some earlier records of D. pictus may represent D. haasi .

Occurrence. Known from a few observations in CCNR and surrounding Nature Parks. Rare.

Singapore conservation status. Critically Endangered.

Conservation priority. Highest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2012].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : ZRC.2.3760 (no date), ZRC.2.3744 (Apr-1935) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. No specimens.

Singapore localities. Lower Peirce Forest—Thomson Ridge Forest—Upper Seletar Reservoir Park—Windsor Nature Park.

Figures

FIGURE 16. A) Ahaetulla mycterizans, B) Ahaetulla prasina C) Chrysopelea paradisi, D) Chrysopelea pelias, E) Dendrelaphis caudolineatus, F) Dendrelaphis cyanochloris, G) Dendrelaphis formosus, and H) Dendrelaphis haasi. Photographs by: Alex Figueroa [A–B, E, G–H], Kelvin K.P. Lim [C], Joys Tan [D], and Law Ing Sind [F].