Duttaphrynus bengalensis Daudin, 1802

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 : 24-26

Duttaphrynus bengalensis Daudin, 1802 — Non-native; Established.

Bufo bengalensis Daudin, 1802: 96 . Neotype: MNHN 4967 (holotype of Bufo isos ), designated by Dubois & Ohler (1999: 145); type material originally at MNHN apparently lost . Type locality: “Bengale”, “general name in 1802 of a region which is now partly in India and partly in the Republic of Bangladesh ” according to Dubois & Ohler (1999: 145).

Bengal Toad ( Figure 4B ; Dairy Farm Nature Park)

Singapore records.

Bufo melanostictus — Girard, 1858b: 92.—Stoliczka, 1870b: 157.— Anderson, 1871: 38.—F. M̧ller, 1878: 585.— Flower, 1896: 911.— Hanitsch, 1898: 18.— Flower, 1900: 910.—Hanitsch, 1908: 48.— Hanitsch, 1912b: 19.—Sworder, 1924a: 20 (Pulau Senang, Pulau Ayer Merbau).— Berry, 1963: 163–167.— Berry, 1964: 227–243 (Botanic Gardens).— Berry, 1965: 163–174 (Botanic Gardens).— Inger, 1966: 71, 73.—Yuen & Fernando, 1967: 91.—Inger & Bacon, 1968: 602.— Dicker & Elliott, 1970a: 139.— Chuang, 1973: 4.— Harrison & Tham, 1973: 254.— Elliott & Karunakaran, 1974: 203–215.—L.M. Chou et al., 1980: 66.—Phang et al., 1983: 25 (Botanic Gardens).— Choo-Toh et al., 1985: 128 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).— Khan & Ip, 1986: 543–546.— Kwok, 1986: 125 (Science Centre Road [Jurong East).— Hall, 1989: 33 (Pasir Panjang Hill).—K.K.P. Lim, 1989b: 170.—K. Lim, 1990b: 12 (Lower Peirce Reservoir [LP]).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 56.— K.K.P. Lim & C.M. Yang, 1991: 220 (Ayer Rajah Campus [= NUS Kent Ridge]; Botanic Gardens; Bukit Timah Campus [NUS]; Bukit Timah Hill [BTNR]; Changi Point; Hindhede Drive; Jurong Campus [NTU]; Lower Peirce Reservoir [LP]; Pulau Ayer Merbau; Pulau Marabau [= Pulau Ayer Merbau]; Pulau Ubin).— Corlett, 1992: 418.—D.S. Johnson, 1992: 40.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 22, 143.—K.K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1992: 9 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—P.K.L. Ng, 1992a: 137.—P.K.L. Ng, 1992b: 137.—Wee, 1992: 73 (Lower Peirce Reservoir Park).—E.K. Chua, 1993: 105.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 93.—J.K.Y. Low et al., 1994: 158.—L.M. Chou, 1995: 146.—R. Subaraj, 1995: 36 (Pulau Ubin).—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 397 (Bukit Timah [BTNR]).— Chan-ard et al., 1999: 13, 46.—T.M. Leong & L.M. Chou, 1999: 91–92.—T.M. Leong, 2000: 6.—E.K. Chua, 2002: 13 (Pulau Ubin).—B.P.L. Goh et al., 2002: 137.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 144.— Karns et al., 2002: 488 (Pasir Ris Park Mangroves).— Anonymous, 2003: 32, 93 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).— Das & Haas, 2005: 378.—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2007: 64.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 54, 158.—T.M. Leong, et al., 2009: 364 ( Singapore Zoo).—Bickford et al., 2010: 121, 123.—T.M. Leong, 2011: 22.— Cross, 2020d: 2 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).

Bufo isos —F. M̧ller, 1882: 139.

Bufo melanosticta —D.S. Johnson, 1964: 28, 55.—D.S. Johnson, 1973a: 117.

Duttaphrynus melanostictus —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).—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2010:88.—D.C.J.Yeo et al., 2010: 158.—M.A.H. Chua, 2011: 278 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).—L.L. Grismer, 2011a: 46.—T.M. Leong & K.K.P. Lim, 2011: 138 (Jurong Central Park).—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 485.— Ang et al., 2012: 47 (Hort Park).—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 54, 158.— Gilbert et al., 2012: 393.—M.F.C. Ng, 2012: 68, 146.—T.H. Ng & D.C.J. Yeo, 2012: 95, 100.—K.Y. Chong et al., 2013: 290.—E. Chan, 2015: 55. (Jalan Bahtera).—R. Subaraj, 2015: 19, 39, 52, 54 (Night Safari; Project Western Boundary [= MBP]; Stephen Lee Woods [= RPN]).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 4, 6, 7 (Night Safari; Singapore Zoo; Stephen Lee Woods [= RPN]).—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2016: 172 (Pulau Tekong).—D̂ring et al., 2017: 2.—A. Tay et al., 2017: 103, 104 (Clementi Woods).—S.M. Chong et al., 2018: 253, 254.—H.C. Ho et al., 2019: 124, 125 (Alexandra Woodlands; Clementi Forest).—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2019: 291.—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2019: 132 (Kent Ridge Park; National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus).—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 150, 179 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).—Allain & Goodman, 2020: 217 ( Singapore Botanic Gardens).—Soorae et al., 2020: 440.—B.C. Ng, 2021: 136, 137 (Pang Sua Woodland).— Kurniawan et al., 2022: 103 (Mandai; Marsiling; Sembawang).

“Asian Common Toad”—Zheng, 2021 (Lower Peirce Reservoir).

Duttaphrynus bengalensis — Jablonski et al., 2022: 278–279, 282.

Remarks. Since it was first reported from Singapore by Girard (1858b) based on specimens collected some time around 1842 during the U.S. Exploring Expedition, D. melanostictus was considered native to Singapore. Only Ng & Yeo (2012) challenged this assessment when they commented that D. melanostictus , along with Fejervarya cancrivora , F. limnocharis , Hylarana erythraea , Microhyla cf. butleri , M. cf. heymonsi , and Polypedates leucomystax , may possibly be species introduced into Singapore during early British settlement after 1819 being that each of these frogs are extremely abundant, widespread, and are found in predominantly disturbed areas. Indeed, a recent phylogeographic analysis substantiated their claim, revealing that not only is D. melanostictus introduced into Singapore, but that the Singapore population also belongs to a different species, D. bengalensis ( Jablonski et al. 2022) . Molecular samples taken from three localities (see above), along with samples from Peninsular Malaysia and Kalimantan, Indonesia formed a clade with samples from Pakistan, Nepal, India, and Bangladesh that is deeply-divergent from D. melanostictus and an undescribed species inhabiting Indochina ( Jablonski et al. 2022). Thus, given its considerably disjunct phylogeographic pattern and that the D. bengalensis clade exhibits low genetic diversity, the most plausible scenario is that D. bengalensis was introduced into Southeast Asia ( Jablonski et al. 2022). As the earliest specimens can be traced to 1842 ( Girard 1858b), this makes D. bengalensis Singapore’s earliest established non-native species. Additional early specimens of D. bengalensis were collected in 1861 by Bocourt ( Lim et al. 2019) and by Maindron in 1876 during his collection trip aboard the Corrèze. As mentioned earlier, D. bengalensis is an abundant species found in all types of habitats throughout Singapore ( Baker & Lim 2012). It went unreported from Singapore for 37 years ( Table 2 ), between Sworder (1924a) and Berry (1963).

Occurrence. Ubiquitous. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Least Concern (as designated for D. melanostictus ).

Conservation priority. None, non-native species.

IUCN conservation status. Not Evaluated.

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH 1882.11 .15.1 (no date) , BMNH 1896.6.25.94–95 (no date), BMNH 1896.6.25.179–188 (no date); Ayer Rajah Campus [= NUS Kent Ridge] : ZRC.1.1176 (09-Mar-1976) , ZRC.1.1178 (10-Sep-1976) , ZRC.1.1179 (16-Sep-1976) , ZRC.1.5674 (1977); Botanic Gardens : ZRC.1.1367 (Feb-1970) , ZRC.1.2251– ZRC.1.2620 (24-Oct-1974) ; Bukit Timah: ZRC.1.3511– ZRC.1.3514 (16-Oct-1982) , ZRC.1.5604– ZRC.1.5605 (25-Aug-1982) , Bukit Timah Nature Reserve : ZRC.1.1368 (10-Oct-1973) ; Bukit Timah Campus [ NUS] : ZRC.1.1369 ZRC.1.1375 (17-Dec-1974) ; Changi Point: ZRC.1.2818 (14-Nov-1982) ; Hindhede Drive: ZRC.1.1577 (18-Jan-1989) , ZRC.1.1177 (03-Apr-1976) ; Jurong Campus [ NTU] : ZRC.1.1180– ZRC.1.1181 (25-Feb-1981) ; Lim Chu Kang : ZRC.1.8020 (23-Apr-2001) ; Lower Peirce Reservoir : ZRC.1.2895 (11-Aug-1990) ; Marina East: ZRC.1.3412 (25-Sep-1996) ; Mount Faber Park : ZRC.1.13090 (20-Jun-2012) ; Pulau Ayer Merbau : ZRC.1.70– ZRC.1.74 (11-May-1921) , ZRC.1.77– ZRC.1.79 (07-May-1923) , ZRC.1.80 (08-May-1923) ; Pulau Tekong: ZRC.1.9061 (31-Oct-2001) , ZRC.1.9234– ZRC.1.9239 (31-Jan-2002) , ZRC.1.75 (07-Mar-1921) , ZRC.1.76 (29-May-1921) , ZRC.1.8222 (Jul-2001) ; Seletar : ZRC.1.10029 (15-Jun-2002) , ZRC.1.3411 (07-Jul-1996) ; West Coast Park : ZRC.1.9630 (18-Apr-2002) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): CAS, BYU, FMNH, KU, MNHN, NMW, RBINS, ROM, SAMA, UIMNH, ZMB, ZMH; Botanic Gardens: BPBM; Havelock Road: UF; Scotts Road: LSUMZ.

Singapore localities. Alexandra Woodlands—Bukit Timah (not specified)—Bukit Timah Nature Reserve— Changi Point—Clementi Forest—Clementi Woods—Dairy Farm Nature Park—Hindhede Drive—Hort Park—Jalan Bahtera—Jurong Central Park—Jurong East—Kent Ridge Park—Lim Chu Kang—Lower Peirce—Lower Peirce Reservoir Park—Mandai—Mandai Bird Park—Marina East—Marsiling—Mount Faber Park —Nanyang Technological University Jurong Campus—National University of Singapore Bukit Timah Campus—National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Night Safari—Pang Sua Woodland—Pasir Panjang Hill—Pasir Ris Park Mangroves—Pulau Ayer Merbau—Pulau Semakau—Pulau Senang—Pulau Tekong—Pulau Ubin—Rainforest Park North—Scotts Road—Seletar (not specified)—Sembawang—Singapore Botanic Gardens—Singapore Island Country Club—Singapore Zoo—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve—West Coast Park.

Genus Ingerophrynus Frost, Grant, Faivovich, Bain, Haas, Haddad, de Sá, Channing, Wilkinson, Donnellan, Raxworthy, Campbell, Blotto, Moler, Drewes, Nussbaum, Lynch, Green & Wheeler, 2006 (1 species)

Ingerophrynus Frost, Grant, Faivovich, Bain, Haas, Haddad, de Sá, Channing, Wilkinson, Donnellan, Raxworthy, Campbell, Blotto, Moler, Drewes, Nussbaum, Lynch, Green & Wheeler, 2006: 219 (type species: Bufo biporcatus Gravenhorst, 1829 , by original designation; gender masculine).

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].