Microhyla cf. heymonsi Vogt, 1911

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 : 46-47

Microhyla cf. heymonsi Vogt, 1911 — Native.

Microhyla heymonsi Vogt, 1911: 181 , 182. Syntypes (9): ZMB 21944 (9), according to Bauer et al. 1996: 266. Type locality: “ Formosa ” (= Taiwan); later restricted to “Kosempo, Formosa ” (= Jiaxian, Kaohsiung, Taiwan) by Parker (1934: 135).

Dark-sided Chorus Frog

( Figure 6B )

Singapore records.

Microhyla heymonsii — Berry, 1964: 227–243 (Botanic Gardens).— Berry, 1965: 163–174 (Botanic Gardens).

Microhyla heymonsi —Inger & Bacon, 1968: 602.— Grandison, 1972: 60.—K. Lim, 1988f: 77 (Botanic Gardens; Bukit Timah Hill [BTNR]; Nee Soon Swamp Forest; Sime Road Forest; Tanjong Rhu).— K. Lim, 1989a: 5 (Senoko).—K. Lim, 1989h: 66 (Sime Road Forest).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 57.—K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1991 d: 4 (Mount Imbiah [Sentosa]).—K.K.P. Lim & C.M. Yang, 1991: 229 (Botanic Gardens; Hindhede Drive).—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 43, 144.— K.K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1992: 9 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—W.K. Tan, 1992: 50.—E.K. Chua, 1993: 59.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 93.—R. Subaraj, 1995: 36 (Pulau Ubin).— Cedhagen, 1997: 4.—T.M. Leong & L.M. Chou, 1997: 97.— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 62.—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 402.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 14.—T.M. Leong & L.M. Chou, 1999: 126–127.— Hirai & Matsui, 2000: 28, 32.—T.M. Leong, 2000: 5.—B.P.L. Goh et al., 2002: 141.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 145.— Karns et al., 2002: 488 (Pasir Ris Park Mangroves).— Anonymous, 2003: 32, 93 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 66, 159.—T.M. Leong et al., 2009: 364 ( Singapore Zoo).—Sheridan, 2009: 583-592 (Mandai Orchid Garden [= MRF]).—Bickford et al., 2010: 121, 122, 123.—S.H. Chan & C. Goh, 2010: 111 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).—E.K. Chua, 2010: 103 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).—Sheridan et al., 2010: 369–379 (Mandai Orchid Garden [= MRF]).—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 390.—T.M. Leong, 2011: 22.— Ang et al., 2012: 49 (Hort Park).—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 65, 159.— Gilbert et al., 2012: 393.—T.H. Ng & D.C.J. Yeo, 2012: 100.— Manthey & Denzer, 2014: 13.—E.K. Chua, 2015: 32, 127.—I.S. Law & Groenewoud, 2015b: 63.—R. Subaraj, 2015: 19, 32, 39, 53, 54, 56 (Mandai Range Forest; Night Safari; Project Western Boundary [= MBP]; Singapore Zoo; Stephen Lee Woods [= RPN]; Ulu Sembawang Forest; Ulu Sembawang Forest; Upper Seletar Peninsula [= USNF]).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 3, 4, 5, 7 (Mandai Range Forest; Night Safari; Project Western Boundary [= MBP]; Stephen Lee Woods [= RPN]; Upper Seletar Peninsula [= USNF]).—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2016: 174, 175 (Pulau Tekong).—Shahrudin, 2017: 31.—S.M. Chong et al., 2018: 253.—H.C. Ho et al., 2019: 125 (Alexandra Woodlands; Clementi Forest).—Pradana et al., 2019: 77, 78, 84.—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2019: 128, 132 (Kent Ridge Park; National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus).—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 154, 179 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).— Akbari et al., 2021: 4.—E.K. Chua, 2022: 91 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).— Hosamani & Kadadevaru, 2022: 599.—Sankar et al., 2022: 465 (Kranji Marshes).

“ Microhyla ” —D.S. Johnson, 1992: 40.

Microhyla cf. heymonsi — Garg et al., 2019: 6, 10, 11, 52.— Hoang et al., 2022: 2, 7, 15, 16.— Garg et al., 2022: 2.

Remarks. Microhyla heymonsi sensu lato encompasses a cryptic species complex that has received little research attention until recently ( Garg et al. 2019). It has been highlighted as the most diverse, cryptic species complex within Microhyla being composed of up to nine deeply divergent, cryptic lineages ( Garg et al. 2019; Hoang et al. 2022). Progressively, molecular investigations are resolving the complex’s systematics and leading to new species being described ( Garg et al. 2022; Gorin et al. 2020; Hoang et al. 2022). The Singapore populations form a clade with Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra and has been identified as constituting a new, single undescribed species ( Garg et al. 2019; Gorin et al. 2020; Akbari et al. 2021; Hoang et al. 2022). Populations from Nicobar Islands are also closely-related, but were recently elevated to species status ( Garg et al. 2022).

Similar to M. cf. butleri , M. cf. heymonsi is exceedingly ubiquitous and common throughout Singapore, and there is no published record reporting when it was first found in Singapore. For unknown reasons, Taylor (1962) did not include Singapore as part of the distribution of M. cf. heymonsi , although he collected specimen UIMNH 37696 at SBG in 1945. In any case, the first report of M. cf. heymonsi from Singapore would be attributed to Berry (1964) based on her studies at SBG. Along with M. cf. butleri, Hendrickson also collected a specimen of M. cf. heymonsi (BBM 6993) from SBG in 1951. Microhyla cf. heymonsi was not reported again from Singapore until 23 years later ( Table 2 ) when Lim (1988f) publicised it from several locations.

Occurrence. Ubiquitous. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Least Concern.

Conservation priority. Lowest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2004].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH 1956.1.10.41–42 (no date); Botanic Gardens : BMNH 1974.3264 (no date) , ZRC.1.1571 (Dec-1988) , ZRC.1.1541 (24-Oct-1974) ; Bukit Kalang [ SRF] : ZRC.1.3433– ZRC.1.3434 (Aug-1996) , ZRC.1.11349 (Aug-2004) ; Bukit Timah Nature Reserve : ZRC.1.6195– ZRC.1.6198 (30-Dec-2000) ; Central Catchment : ZRC.1.12579 (02-Feb-2007) ; Hindhede Drive: ZRC.1.4552 (13-Apr-1990) , ZRC.1.1556 (08-Dec-1988) , ZRC.1.1576 (25-Dec-1988) , ZRC.1.2757 (1989), ZRC.1.1259 (22-Jun-1978) ; Jalan Bahtera: ZRC.1.10735 (19-Mar-2003) ; Jurong Road: ZRC.1.3431– ZRC.1.3432 (29-Sep-1996) ; Lim Chu Kang Road: ZRC.1.8017– ZRC.1.8018 (23- Apr-2001) ; Lower Peirce Forest : ZRC.1.5385– ZRC.1.5386 (10-Aug-2000) , ZRC.1.8141:8155 (Jun-2001) , ZRC.1.10522 (14-Mar-2003) , ZRC.1.12548– ZRC.1.12549 (04-May-2006) ; Mandai Orchid Garden [= MBP] : ZRC.1.12536 (14-Mar-2006) , ZRC.1.12539 (26-Mar-2006) , ZRC.1.12541 (02-May-2006) , ZRC.1.12560 (11-May-2006) , ZRC.1.12566 (17-Nov-2006) , ZRC.1.12581 (09-Feb-2007) , ZRC.1.12583, ZRC.1.12585 (16-Feb-2007) , ZRC.1.12587, ZRC.1.12589 (02-Mar-2007) , ZRC.1.12534 (14-Mar-2006) , ZRC.1.12582 (10-Feb-2007) , ZRC.1.12564 (17-May-2006) ; Nee Soon Swamp Forest : ZRC.1.12578 (02- Feb-2007) , ZRC.1.4221 (16-Jan-1996) , ZRC.1.4424:4425 (20-Apr-1994) , ZRC.1.8645 (27-Sep-2001) ; Pulau Tekong: ZRC.1.12494– ZRC.1.12495 (13-Nov-2012) , ZRC.1.11291 (20-Dec-2001) ; Pulau Ubin: ZRC.1.8646 (29-Sep-2001) ; Seletar Reservoir Park [ USRP] : ZRC.1.3290 (29-May-1991) ; Sime Road Forest : ZRC.1.11356 (06-Sep-2004) ; Singapore Zoo: ZRC.1.12554 (10-May-2006) , ZRC.1.12561 (15- May-2006) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): FMNH; Botanic Gardens: BPBM, UIMNH; MacRitchie Reservoir: BPBM; University of Malaya [= NUS Bukit Timah]: BPBM.

Singapore localities. Alexandra Woodlands—Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Central Catchment (not specified)— Clementi Forest—Hindhede Drive—Hort Park—Jalan Bahtera—Jurong Road—Kent Ridge Park—Kranji Marshes—Lim Chu Kang Road—MacRitchie Reservoir—Mandai Bird Park—Mandai Range Forest— National University of Singapore Bukit Timah Campus—National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Night Safari—Pasir Ris Park Mangroves—Pulau Tekong—Pulau Ubin—Rainforest Park North—Senoko—Sentosa—Sime Road Forest— Singapore Botanic Gardens— Singapore Zoo—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve—Tanjong Rhu—Ulu Sembawang Forest—Upper Seletar North Forest—Upper Seletar Reservoir Park.

Figures

FIGURE 6. A) Microhyla cf. butleri, B) Microhyla cf. heymonsi, C) Microhyla mantheyi, D) Microhyla cf. mukhlesuri, E) Micryletta subaraji, F) Chalcorana labialis, G) Hylarana erythraea, and H) Pulchrana baramica. Photographs by: Kelvin K.P. Lim [A–B, G], Alex Figueroa [C–D, F], and Law Ing Thong [E, H].