Rhabdophis subminiatus (Schlegel, 1837)

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 : 271-272

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5287.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:78E23714-8973-4755-BC94-0A751D7D2B37

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7968284

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/88502B73-FE94-B979-FF6B-42217D220B14

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Rhabdophis subminiatus (Schlegel, 1837)
status

 

Rhabdophis subminiatus (Schlegel, 1837) — Erroneous.

Red-necked Keelback

Singapore records.

Natrix subminiata —Sworder, 1924b: 21.

Tropidonotus subminiatus View in CoL — Buddle, 1929: 42.

Natrix subminiata subminiata — de Haas, 1949: 81.— de Haas, 1950: 544.

Rhabdophis subminiatus —K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1988: 87.—F.L.K. Lim & Lee, 1989: 117.—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 54.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 147.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—R. Subaraj, 1994: 13 (Mandai Track 15).—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 383.—Chan-ard, 1999: 36.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 148.—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2008: 265.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 169.— Das, 2010: 341.— Eriksson, 2011: 126.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 169.— Das, 2012a: 126.—Wallach et al., 2014: 637.—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 227.— Fernando et al., 2015: 20.— Das, 2018: 96.—Shome et al., 2020: 549.

Rhabdophis subminiatus subminiatus — David & Vogel, 1996: 130.— Iskandar & Colijn, 2000: 105.— de Lang & Vogel, 2005: 255.— de Lang, 2017: 208.

Remarks. Sworder (1924) discussed that Smith informed him of two specimens of R. subminiatus that he obtained in Singapore, but it is unknown whether Smith personally collected or purchased the specimens. Furthermore, those specimens were not deposited in any museums, and Smith (1930) did not discuss his findings in his account of the species. Buddle (1929) reported one he purchased at SNB; however, the description he provided of “uniform blackish on dorsum and light on venter, under part of neck crimson” does not depict R. subminiatus , but instead more closely matches R. flaviceps . Later in 1994, a single individual of R. subminiatus was discovered at Mandai Track 15 on 15 January 1994 (Subaraj 1994), but may have been an escapee from Singapore Zoo (Teo & Rajathurai 1997). Teo & Rajathurai (1997) considered the individual as a rediscovery of R. subminiatus in Singapore, but acknowledged that its distribution in the Malay Peninsula only reached as far south as extreme northern Peninsular Malaysia (Wallach et al. 2014). Nonetheless, R. subminiatus was still considered native to Singapore and was even treated as critically endangered ( Davison 2008) or extinct, if not rare (Lim & Lim 1988). Four specimens are deposited at ZMH, but lack any other details. The case of a severe bite in Singapore was from a pet snake (Seow et al. 2000; Fernando et al. 2015).

Since no preserved specimens exist for any of the records mentioned above, and given its distribution, we exclude R. subminiatus from Singapore’s herpetofauna checklist. In a recent taxonomic examination of R. subminatus, David & Vogel (2021) designated populations from Indochina, Thailand, southern Myanmar, and northern Peninsular Malaysia as R. siamensis . Thus, if R. subminiatus did occur naturally in Singapore, the species will be recognised as R. siamensis . However, if the specimens observed in Singapore were introduced then their locality of origin (and identity) is unknown. Given that there are no authentic records of R. subminiatus from Singapore, David & Vogel (2021) also excluded Singapore from the distribution of either of the species. They also indicate that the record from Das (2010) pertains to R. helleri , which they restrict to northern Indochina ( David & Vogel 2021).

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. No specimens.

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): ZMH.

Subfamily Sibynophiinae Dunn, 1928 (1 species)

Genus Sibynophis Fitzinger, 1843 (1 species)

ZMH

Zoologisches Museum Hamburg

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Reptilia

Order

Squamata

Family

Natricidae

Genus

Rhabdophis

Loc

Rhabdophis subminiatus (Schlegel, 1837)

Figueroa, Alex, Low, Martyn E. Y. & Lim, Kelvin K. P. 2023
2023
Loc

Rhabdophis subminiatus subminiatus

de Lang, R. 2017: 208
de Lang, R. & Vogel, G. 2005: 255
Iskandar, D. T. & Colijn, E. 2000: 105
David, P. & Vogel, G. 1996: 130
1996
Loc

Rhabdophis subminiatus

Das, I. 2018: 96
Fernando, W. K. B. K. M. & Kularatne, S. A. M. & Wathudura, S. P. K. & Silva, A. de & Mori, A. & Mahaulpatha, D. 2015: 20
Das, I. 2012: 126
Eriksson, S. 2011: 126
Das, I. 2010: 341
Lim, K. P. & Lim, F. L. K. 2002: 148
Chou L. M. & Ng, P. K. L. & Lim, K. K. P. 1994: 105
Lim, K. K. P. & Lim, F. L. K. 1992: 147
1992
Loc

Natrix subminiata subminiata

de Haas, C. P. J. 1950: 544
de Haas, C. P. J. 1949: 81
1949
Loc

Tropidonotus subminiatus

Buddle, R. 1929: 42
1929
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