Dendrelaphis pictus ( Gmelin, 1789 )

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 : 146-147

Dendrelaphis pictus ( Gmelin, 1789) — Native.

Coluber pictus Gmelin, 1789: 1116 . Type material: None designated; NRM 37 listed as holotype in Wallach et al. (2014: 219) is paralectotype for Leptophis ahaetulla . Type locality: None stated/traced; later designated as “ Java ” by Boie (1827: 530); later designated as “Borneo” by Mertens (1930: 302); later designated as “ Java ” by Meise & Hennig (1932: 289); later designated as “Borneo” by Mertens (1934: 198); later restricted to “Borneo” by Leviton (1968b: 377).

Painted Bronzeback

( Figure 17B ; Pasir Ris Park)

Singapore records.

Dendrophis picta — Girard, 1858b: 129.— Dennys, 1880a: 3.— Dennys, 1881b: 3.— Blanford, 1881: 215.— Davison, 1892: 90.

Dendrophis pictus —Sclater, 1891a: 34.— Flower, 1896: 883 (Tanglin [= TF]).— Flower, 1899: 669.— Ridley, 1899: 208.—Sworder, 1923: 64.—Sworder, 1924a: 20 (Pulau Ayer Merbau).— Buddle, 1929: 33 (Sembawang Naval Base [= SML]).

Ahaetulla picta — Cope, 1861: 556.— Cross, 2020a: 3 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020b: 2 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020c: 1 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020d: 1, 3 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020e: 2 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020n: 2 (Dunearn Road; Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).

Ahaetulla ahaetulla — Smith, 1943: 528.— Choo-Toh et al., 1985: 120 ( Bukit Timah Nature Reserve ) .

Ahaetulla ? ahaetulla — Smith, 1943: 529.

Ahaetulla picta picta — de Haas, 1950: 536.

Dendrelaphis pictus —F.L.K. Lim, 1984: 17.—K. Lim & F. Lim, 1988b: 49 ( Singapore Zoo).— Hall, 1988: 89 (Pasir Panjang Hill).—K. Lim, 1989e: 38 (Coralarium [Sentosa]).—K. Lim, 1989h: 63 (Portsdown Road; Pulau Ubin).—F.L.K. Lim & M.T.-M. Lee, 1989: 116.—K. Lim, 1990a: 8 (Kranji War Memorial Park; Sime Road [SRF]; Upper Peirce Reservoir Road; West View Point [MFP]).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 54.—K.K.P. Lim, 1991a: 3 (King’s Avenue).—K.K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1991: 5 (Pulau Ubin).—Subharaj & K.K.P. Lim, 1991a: 3 (Neo Tiew Road [LCK]).—Subharaj & K.K.P. Lim, 1991b: 2 (Neo Tiew Road [LCK]; Ulu Sembawang).—F.L.K. Lim, 1991: 61.—K.K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1992: 6 (Choa Chu Kang Road [CCK]; Jalan Bahtera [LCK]; Lower Peirce Forest; Mandai Road; Neo Tiew Road [LCK]; Neo Tiew Track 10 [LCK]; Rifle Range Road; Yishun Avenue 6).—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 63,146.—Wee, 1992: 74 (Lower Peirce Reservoir Park).—E.K. Chua, 1993: 99.—K.K.P. Lim, 1993a: 3 (Choa Chu Kang Hill [CCK]; Choa Chu Kang Road [CCK]; Kampung Melayu [Pulau Ubin]; Lim Chu Kang Road [LCK]; Neo Tiew Road [LCK]; Pulau Ubin; Underwater World [Sentosa]).—K.K.P. Lim & Subaraj, 1994: 6 (Old Upper Thomson Road).—K.K.P. Lim & Subaraj, 1994: 7 (Pulau Ubin).— L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—L.M. Chou, 1995: 148.—R. Subaraj et al., 1995: 3 (Bukit Kalang Service Road [SRF]; Sungei Buloh Nature Park [= SBWR]).—K. Lim et al., 1995: 14 (Island Country Club Road [SICC]; Old Upper Thomson Road).—K. Lim, 1995: 15 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve; Sungei Buloh Nature Park [= SBWR]).—R. Subaraj, 1995: 35 (Pulau Ubin).—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 380.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 31.—E.K. Chua, 2000: 19.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 147.— Anonymous, 2003: 92 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 101, 161. van Rooijen & Vogel, 2008: 107.—T.M. Leong et al., 2009: 361–364 ( Singapore Zoo).—E.K. Chua, 2010: 128, 157.— Das, 2010: 276.—L.L. Grismer, 2011a: 190.— K.K.P. Lim & Cheong, 2011: 9, 11, 12 (Portsdown Road).—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 272.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 101, 161.— Das, 2012a: 36.— Ang et al., 2012: 60 (Hort Park).— Chim, 2014: 112, 114 (Saint John’s Island).—Wallach et al., 2014: 219.—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 190.—E.K. Chua, 2015: 70.— Jayasri, 2015: 139, 140 (MacRitchie Reservoir Park).—L. Ng, 2015: 23 (Lower Peirce Reservoir).—R. Subaraj, 2015: 19, 52, 54, 55 (Mandai Range Forest; Project Western Boundary [= MBP]; Stephen Lee Woods [= RPN]; Ulu Sembawang Forest).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 4, 5, 7 (Mandai Range Forest; Night Safari; Project Western Boundary [= MBP]; Stephen Lee Woods [= RPN]).—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2016: 181 (Pulau Tekong).— de Lang, 2017: 137.—Zhang & Thomas, 2017: 176 (Bukit Surau [Pulau Ubin]).— Das, 2018: 45.—H.C. Ho et al., 2019: 125 (Alexandra Woodlands).—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2019: 134 (Kent Ridge Park; National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus).—R. Tan & M.-R. Low, 2018: 40 ( Singapore Zoo).—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 162, 181 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).— Charlton, 2020: 161.—K.K.P. Lim, 2020: 4 (Dunearn Road; Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).—E.K. Chua, 2022: 167 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).

Dendrelaphis pictus pictus — David & Vogel, 1996: 77.— Iskandar & Colijn, 2001: 54.— de Lang & Vogel, 2005: 120.

Ahaetulla formosa — Cross, 2020k: 1 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]) .— Cross, 2020l: 1 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]) .— Cross, 2020m: 1, 5 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]) .

Remarks. Similar to D. caudolineatus , D. pictus also encompassed a wide-distribution prior to being split into several species, with the Singapore population still recognised as D. pictus (see Rooijen & Vogel 2008; Vogel & Rooijen 2008). Dendrelaphis pictus was first reported in Singapore by Girard (1858b). Much earlier, Gray (1832–1835) published an illustration of D. pictus under the name Ahaetulla bellii , but did not specify a locality for the specimen. As Smith (1943) indicated that Singapore was the origin of the specimen, and van Rooijen & Vogel (2008) designated Singapore as the type locality for A. bellii , Gray’s (1832–1835) illustration can be considered the first record of D. pictus from Singapore. Several specimens illustrated in Gray (1832–1835) were collected early on and deposited in museums ( Girard 1858b; Blanford 1881; Sclater 1891a). After Sworder (1924a) reported one from Pulau Ayer Merbau, a new record of D. pictus was not reported until 64 years later ( Table 2 ) when one was captured at Singapore Zoo ( Lim & Lim 1988b). Sworder (1923) classified D. pictus as very common, and in addition to being very common today, D. pictus is also very abundant at suitable areas with one linear transect survey recording 66 individuals (A. Figueroa pers. obs.). Therefore, D. pictus may well be considered Singapore’s most common and abundant snake, although Cerberus schneiderii also reaches high densities as well (see species account below).

Occurrence. Widespread. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Least Concern.

Conservation priority. Lowest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2021].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : ZRC.2.3692, ZRC.2.5009, ZRC.2.5464 (no date), ZRC.2.3732 (Jan-1922) , ZRC.2.3736 (Mar-1949) , ZRC.2.3730 (Sep-1997) ; Botanic Gardens: ZRC.2.3728 (no date), ZRC.2.3677 (Aug-1897) , Bukit Timah: ZRC.2.3684 (20-Mar-1923) ; Greenbank Park: ZRC.2.6040 (11-Apr-2004) , ZRC.2.6289 (06-Dec-2005) ; Island Club Road [ SICC] : ZRC.2.6324 (16-Jan-2007) , ZRC.2.6726 (05-Aug-2008) ; Kent Ridge [ NUS] : ZRC.2.5518 (04-Dec-1974) ; Kranji: ZRC.2.3740 (23-Jan-1923) ; Lim Teck Boo Road: ZRC.2.5520 (14-Dec-1978) ; Mandai Lake Road : ZRC.2.6826 (16-Jun-2009) ; Mandai Road: ZRC.2.6254 (21-May-2005) ; Museum Compound [= National Museum ] : ZRC.2.3691 (20-Feb-1899) ; Old Upper Thomson Road : ZRC.2.6729 (08-Aug-2008) ; Portsdown Road: ZRC.2.6083 (29-Jun-2004) ; Pulau Ayer Merbau: ZRC.2.3735 (19-Apr-1923) ; Pulau Tekong: ZRC.2.6203 (27-Jun-2006) ; Pulau Ubin: ZRC.2.3681 (15-Apr-1921) , ZRC.2.6942 (Jun-2011) ; Queensway: ZRC.2.6817 (05-Feb-2009) ; Seletar Reservoir: BMNH 1983.962 (no date); Upper Peirce Reservoir Road : ZRC.2.6829 (19-Jun-2009) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): ANSP, MNHN, NMI, NMW, SMNS, ZMB, ZMUC; Eng Neo Avenue Forest: BPBM; “Pence Reservoir” [= Peirce Reservoir]; University of Malaya [= NUS Bukit Timah]: BPBM, MCZ.

Singapore localities. Alexandra Woodlands—Bukit Timah (not specified)—Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Choa Chu Kang—Dunearn Road—Eng Neo Avenue Forest—Greenbank Park—Hort Park—Kent Ridge Park— King’s Avenue—Kranji—Kranji War Memorial Park—Lim Teck Boo Road—Lim Chu Kang—Lower Peirce Forest—Lower Peirce Reservoir Park—MacRitchie Reservoir Park—Mandai Bird Park—Mandai Lake Road—Mandai Range Forest—Mandai Road—Mount Faber Park —National Museum—National University of Singapore Bukit Timah Campus—National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus— Night Safari—Old Upper Thomson Road—Pasir Panjang Hill—Pasir Ris Park—Portsdown Road—Pulau Ayer Merbau—Pulau Tekong—Pulau Ubin—Queensway—Rainforest Park North—Rifle Range Road— Saint John’s Island—Seletar Reservoir—Sembcorp Marine Ltd.—Sentosa—Sime Road Forest— Singapore Botanic Gardens— Singapore Island Country Club— Singapore Zoo—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve— Tyersall Forest—Ulu Sembawang Forest—Upper Peirce Reservoir Road—Yishun Avenue 6.

Figures

FIGURE 17. A) Dendrelaphis kopsteini, B) Dendrelaphis pictus, C) Dryophiops rubescens, D) Calamaria albiventer, E) Calamaria lovii, F) Calamaria lumbricoidea, G) Calamaria schlegeli, and H) Pseudorabdion longiceps. Photographs by: Law Ing Sind [A, E], Alex Figueroa [B, G], Emmanuel Goh [C], Evan S.H. Quah [D], and Kelvin K.P. Lim [F, H].