Dendrelaphis formosus, Flower, 1897

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 : 142-143

Dendrelaphis formosus (H. Boie in F. Boie, 1827)— Native.

Dendrophis formosa H. Boie in F. Boie, 1827: 542. Neotype: RMNH.RENA.877, designated by Vogel & van Rooijen (2007: 30). Type locality: None stated/traced; later designated as “ Java ”, Indonesia via neotype designation.

Elegant Bronzeback

( Figure 16G ; Rifle Range Nature Park)

Singapore records.

Dendrophis formosus — Buddle, 1929: 33 (Sembawang Naval Base [= SML]).— Cox et al., 1998: 71.—N. Baker, 2005: 5.—T.M. Leong, 2005: 81.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 99, 160.—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2008: 162, 264.—K.K.P. Lim & Cheong, 2011: 9.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 99, 161.— Neo & Yee, 2014: 59 (MacRitchie Forest, “near Gardenia road entrance” [TRF]).—Thomas, 2014: 5.—Wallach et al., 2014: 217.— de Lang, 2017: 131.—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 162, 181 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).— Charlton, 2020: 158.— Leo et al., 2020: 257.—N. Kim, 2020b: 149.

Dendrelaphis cyanochloris (non Wall, 1921)—T.M. Leong, 2005: 81 (Pulau Ubin).

Dendrophis formosus ?—K.K.P. Lim, 2020: 4 (Changi).

Ahaetulla formosa — Cross, 2020n: 2 (Changi).

Remarks. As mentioned above under D. cyanochloris , systematic disarray existed between D. cyanochloris and D. formosus until D. kopsteini was described as a new species (Vogel & van Rooijen 2007). As such, investigation into historic records informs that many records of D. formosus from Singapore refer to D. kopsteini (e.g., Lim & Lim 2002). Accordingly, all records of D. formosus prior to 2007 are assigned to D. kopsteini , unless there is definitive evidence suggesting the contrary, but we do understand that some records may actually be of D. formosus . All museum specimens of D. formosus are from 2002 onwards, except for ZRC.2.3757 collected on 25 February 1921 at Pulau Ubin, which Leong (2005a) misidentified as D. cyanochloris . The earliest published account of D. formosus comes from Buddle (1929) who provided a description of two individuals caught at SNB. This was followed 88 years later ( Table 2 ) by Baker (2005) who featured a photograph of D. formosus and stated that it is common. Curiously, Baker & Lim (2012) later classified it as rare. Cross (2020n) recorded one individual from Changi in 1944 that went unpublished until now ( Lim 2020). The only other published observations were of one from 26 February 2014 at TRF (Neo & Yee 2014) and of one seen at BTNR (Teo & Thomas 2019). Unpublished observations indicate that D. formosus is not uncommon (A. Figueroa pers. obs.). The individual in Figure 16G was photographed at RRNP on 17 June 2017 (A. Figueroa pers. obs.).

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

Singapore conservation status. Vulnerable.

Conservation priority. Moderate.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2013].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve : ZRC.2.6784 (13-Dec-2008) ; Island Club Road [ SICC]: ZRC.2.6078 (21-Aug-2004) ; Mandai Lake Road : ZRC.2.6722 (18-Aug-2008) ; Mandai Track 15: ZRC.2.5534 (02-Oct-2002) ; Old Upper Thomson Road : ZRC.2.6724 (31-Jul-2008) , ZRC.2.7021 (22-Sep-2013) , ZRC.2.7028 (29-Oct-2013) . Pulau Ubin: ZRC.2.3757 (25-Feb-1921) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. No specimens.

Singapore localities. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Changi*—Mandai Lake Road—Mandai Track 15—Old Upper Thomson Road—Pulau Ubin—Rifle Range Nature Park—Sembcorp Marine Ltd.*—Singapore Island Country Club—Thomson Ridge Forest.

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].