Gekko hulk Grismer, Pinto, Quah, Anuar, Cota, Mcguire, Iskandar, Wood & Grismer, 2022

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 : 107-108

Gekko hulk Grismer, Pinto, Quah, Anuar, Cota, Mcguire, Iskandar, Wood & Grismer, 2022 — Native; Indeterminate.

Gekko hulk Grismer, Pinto, Quah, Anuar, Cota, Mcguire, Iskandar, Wood & Grismer, 2022: 68 . Holotype: LSUHC 6284, by original designation; paratypes (12): LSUHC 1197, 5062, 5152, 5399, 6283, 7026, 7648–49, 7651, 7694, 9959, and ZRC 2.6014, by original designation. Type locality: “Tekek-Juara trail on Pulau Tioman, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia (2.821021°N 104.179596°E; 462 m)”.

Hulk Forest Gecko

( Figure 13D )

Singapore records.

Gekko stentor —K. Lim & F. Lim, 1988a: 27 (Nee Soon [NSSF]).— Lim, 1988c: 51 (Bukit Timah Summit [BTNR]; Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—K. Lim & F. Lim, 1988c: 75 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).— L.M. Chou, 1995: 146.

Gekko smithi (non Gray, 1842)—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 55.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.— K.K.P. Lim, 1994b: 331.—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 391 (Bukit Timah [BTNR]; Lower Peirce [LPF]; Nee Soon [NSSF]).—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 75.—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 174 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).

Gekko smithii (non Gray, 1842)— Denzer & Manthey, 1991: 311.—K.K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1992: 8 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve; Lower Peirce Forest; Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—R. Subaraj et al., 1995: 4 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—K. Lim, 1995: 18 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve; Catchment Path [BTNR]; Jalan Kutu [BTNR]).— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 234.— Cox et al., 1998: 82.— Chan-ard et al., 1999: 25.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 150.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 160.—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2008: 171, 265.— Das, 2010: 220.—L.L. Grismer, 2011b: 469, 473.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 160.—Shahrudin, 2013: 83.— Khew & Yokohari, 2017: 12.—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 157, 180 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).—Riyanto & Rahmadi, 2021: 2936.— L.L. Grismer et al., 2022: 48.

Gekko hulk L.L. Grismer et al., 2022: 53 , 70.— Janssen & Sy, 2022: 93, 160.

Remarks. Gekko smithii populations from southeastern Thailand to Singapore, east of the Banjaran Titiwangsa in Peninsular Malaysia have been redescribed as G. hulk based on molecular and morphometric differences ( Grismer et al. 2022). The earliest published record of G. hulk in Singapore is of an individual heard at NSSF on 9 April 1988 ( Lim & Lim 1988a). Subsequent published records also featured detection via auditory calls ( Lim 1988c; Lim & Lim 1988c; Lim & Subharaj 1992; Subaraj et al. 1995; Teo & Rajathurai 1997). The earliest published record of an individual that was seen is a photograph of one taken at Singapore Zoo in the early 1980s (F.L.K. Lim pers. comm.) and displayed in Lim & Lim (1992; reproduced here as Fig. 13D ). Two additional confirmed sightings of individuals seen at BTNR on 26 August 1995 were reported in Lim (1995), but it appears no photos were taken. Thus, the photograph in Figure 13D may be the only photograph of a specimen from Singapore. Only two voucher specimens exist, the earliest (CAS 7554) collected by Herre on 14 May 1937 at Mandai Road, and ZRC.2.1487 collected at BTNR in October 1975. As no records of G. hulk exist after 1997, we designate the status of G. hulk in Singapore as indeterminate, and it is highly probable that it has been extirpated from Singapore.

Occurrence. Known from two specimens from 1937 and 1975, three visual observations from the early 1980s and from 1995, and acoustic detections between 1988 and 1997. Likely extirpated.

Singapore conservation status. Critically Endangered.

Conservation priority. Immediate priority, if rediscovered.

IUCN conservation status. Not Evaluated.

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve : ZRC.2.1487 (Oct-1975) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Mandai Road: CAS.

Singapore localities. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Lower Peirce Forest—Mandai Road—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Singapore Zoo.

Figures

FIGURE 13. A) Gekko horsfieldii, B) Gekko hulk, C) Gekko kuhli, D) Gekko monarchus, E) Hemidactylus brookii, F) Hemidactylus craspedotus, G) Hemidactylus frenatus, and H) Hemidactylus platyurus. Photographs by: Evan S.H. Quah [A], Francis L.K. Lim [B], Kelvin K.P. Lim [C, G], Alex Figueroa [D, H], Joys Tan [E], and Holly Siow [F].