Fejervarya cancrivora (Gravenhorst, 1829)

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 : 29-30

Fejervarya cancrivora (Gravenhorst, 1829) — Native.

Rana cancrivora Gravenhorst, 1829: 41 . Neotype: FMNH 256688 , designated by Dubois & Ohler (2000: 30); type material presumably originally at Breslau Museum (= MNHUW] apparently lost. Type locality: None stated/traced; later designated as “ Java ”, Indonesia via neotype designation.

Crab-eating Frog

( Figure 4E ; Windsor Nature Park)

Singapore records.

Rana tigrina (non Daudin, 1802)— Ģnther, 1858a: 9.—Sworder, 1924a: 20 (Pulau Senang).

Rana cancrivora —Sworder, 1925b: 99.— Smith, 1930: 96.—Taylor, 1962: 377–379.—Yuen & Fernando, 1967: 91 (Thomson Road).— Dicker & Elliott, 1970a: 139.— Dicker & Elliott, 1970b: 120.—M.- M. Chew et al., 1972: 759.— Elliott & Karunakaran, 1974: 203–215.—J.S. Sullivan & J.J. Sullivan, 1976: 494.—L.M. Chou et al., 1980: 66.—K. Lim, 1988b: 6 (East Coast Park; Senoko).—K. Lim, 1988c: 28 (Mandai Mangroves).—K. Lim, 1988d: 51 (Serangoon Sludge Works [LH]).—K. Lim, 1988f: 78 (Tanjong Tajam [PU]).—K. Lim, 1990b: 13 (Cluny Road [SBG]; Institute of Education [NTU]; Lim Chu Kang Mangroves; Lower Peirce Reservoir [LP]; Pasir Laba Military Exercise Area; Sungei Buloh [SBWR]).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 56.—K.K.P. Lim & C.M. Yang, 1991: 223 (Jalan Bongkok Kechil; Pasir Laba; Sungei Buloh [SBWR]; Thomson Road; Woodlands).—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 28, 144.—P.K.L. Ng, 1992a: 138.—P.K.L. Ng, 1992b: 138.—Wee, 1992: 73 (Lower Peirce Reservoir Park).—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 93.—K.P. Lim, 1994: 7 (Pulau Ubin).—K.P. Lim, 1994: 12, 15 (Cave Path [BTNR]; Seletar North Forest [USNF]).—J.K.Y. Low et al., 1994: 158.—K.P. Lim, 1995: 20 (Lower Peirce Forest [LP]).—R. Subaraj, 1995: 36 (Pulau Ubin).—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 398.—T.M. Leong & L.M. Chou, 1999: 101–104.—P.K.L. Ng & Sivasothi, 1999: 143.—E.K. Chua, 2002: 13 (Pulau Ubin).— Karns et al., 2002: 488 (Pasir Ris Park Mangroves).— Anonymous, 2003: 32, 93 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).

Rana cancrivora cancrivora — Bourret, 1942: 248.— Inger, 1966: 175.

Limnonectes cancrivorus — Chan-ard et al., 1999: 16.

Fejervarya cancrivora —B.P.L. Goh et al., 2002: 138.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 144.— Das & Haas, 2005: 379.—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2007: 63.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 56, 158.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2008: 21.—M.F.C. Ng, 2009: 59, 109 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).—S.H. Chan & C. Goh, 2010: 104 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).—E.K. Chua, 2010: 148 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).—T.H. Ng & K.K. Lim, 2010: 118.—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2010: 87.—M.A.H. Chua, 2011: 279 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).—T.M. Leong, 2011: 22.— Gilbert et al., 2012: 393.—M.F.C. Ng, 2012: 68, 146.— E.K. Chua, 2015: 106.—S.M. Chong et al., 2018: 253.—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 151, 179 (Lasia Stream [BTNR]).—Allain & Goodman, 2020: 217 ( Singapore Botanic Gardens [Evolution Garden]).— Maity et al., 2022: 422, 424, 426.— Mohanty et al., 2022: 105.

Fejervarya cancrivorus —P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 278.—H.T.W. Tan & K.K.P. Lim, 2011: 196.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 56, 158.—T.H. Ng & D.C.J. Yeo, 2012: 100.—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2016: 172 (Pulau Tekong).—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2019: 132 (Kent Ridge Park; National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus).

Fejervarya sp. —B.C. Ng, 2021: 137 (Pang Sua Woodland).

Remarks. Surprisingly, records in Singapore prior to 1988 for this extremely common species are quite sparse.

After Ģnther (1858a) first reported F. cancrivora from Singapore based on two poorly-preserved young specimens in NHMUK, it was only reported again 66 years later ( Table 2 ) by Sworder (1924a) after he collected one individual on Pulau Senang. However, an unreported specimen (NMW-2587) was collected prior to 1870. After this, no additional record of F. cancrivora was reported until another 42 years later when Inger (1966) examined two specimens at FMNH. Specimens from the late 1950s are deposited at BPBM and FMNH, and from the 1970s at LKCNHM, but these were never reported in the literature. The next field observation was from when Yuen & Fernando (1967) collected one individual from Thomson Road to examine frog parasites. Records became more regular after Lim (1988b) reported observations from ECP and Senoko. Along with Lithobates catesbianus , F. cancrivora has been sold in aquarium shops as food for fish (Ng & Lim 2010). A recent evaluation of the F. cancrivora complex shows that populations from Isthmus of Kra in Thailand south through Peninsular Malaysia, Kalimantan, Sumatra, Java, and Bali are true F. cancrivora (Yodthong et al. 2019) .

Occurrence. Ubiquitous. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Least Concern.

Conservation priority. Lowest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2022].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : ZRC.1.1403– ZRC.1.1407 (28-Feb-1970) , ZRC. 1.2767 (31-Oct-1977); Bukit Timah Campus [ NUS] : ZRC.1.2764 (04-Apr-1990); Cluny Road : ZRC.1.1765 (24-Mar-1990); East Coast Park : ZRC.1.1513 (Dec-1987); Jalan Bongkok Kechil : ZRC.1.1408– ZRC. 1.1409 (28-Oct-1974); Lim Chu Kang Lane 8 [ LKC] : ZRC.1.12486 (09-Dec-2011); Lower Peirce Reservoir : ZRC.1.2894(11-Aug-1990); Marina East : ZRC.1.11567– ZRC.1.11568(21-Mar-2006); Pasir Laba : ZRC.1.2932 (26-Dec-1990); Pulau Tekong : ZRC.1.3377 (Aug-1996) , ZRC.1.5633– ZRC.1.5634 (28-Oct-2000) , ZRC.1.11286 (15-Nov-2001) , ZRC.1.9148– ZRC.1.9150 (16-Nov-2001); Pulau Ubin : ZRC.1.12524 (18-Oct-2012); Sungai Buloh Wetland Reserve : ZRC.1.2893 (12-Jul-1990) , ZRC.1.3372 (15-Nov-1990) , ZRC.1.2915 (04-Nov-1990); Thomson Road : ZRC.1.1410– ZRC.1.1412 (28- Oct-1974) , ZRC.1.1413– ZRC.1.1417 (17-Dec-1974); Van Kleef Aquatic Science Centre : ZRC.1.13118 (23-Mar-2017); Woodlands : ZRC.1.1311– ZRC.1.1312 (no date).

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): BPBM, CAS, FMNH, NMW.

Singapore localities. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Cluny Road—East Coast Park—Jalan Bongkok Kechil—Kent Ridge Park—Lim Chu Kang—Lim Chu Kang Mangroves—Lorong Halus—Lower Peirce—Lower Peirce Reservoir—Mandai Mangroves—Marina East—Nanyang Technological University Jurong Campus— National University of Singapore Bukit Timah Campus—National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus—Pang Sua Woodland—Pasir Laba—Pasir Ris Park Mangroves—Pulau Semakau—Pulau Senang—Pulau Tekong—Pulau Ubin—Senoko—Singapore Botanic Gardens—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve—Thomson Road—Upper Seletar North Forest—Van Kleef Aquatic Science Centre—Windsor Nature Park—Woodlands.

Figures

FIGURE 4. A) Ichthyophis paucisulcus, B) Duttaphrynus bengalensis, C) Ingerophrynus quadriporcatus, D) Pelophryne ingeri, E) Fejervarya cancrivora, F) Fejervarya limnocharis, G) Limnonectes blythii, and H) Limnonectes malesianus. Photographs by: Cai Yixiong [A], Alex Figueroa [B, D–H], and Kelvin K.P. Lim [C].