Siebenrockiella crassicollis (Gray, 1831)

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 : 81-82

Siebenrockiella crassicollis (Gray, 1831) — Non-native; Established.

Emys Crassicollis Gray, 1830: 8 . Syntypes (4): OUM 8479–81 and BMNH 1947.3.5.36, according to Iverson (2000: 32); BMNH 1947.3.5.36 erroneously listed as holotype by King & Burke (1989: 50) and Iverson (1992: 166) based on BMNH catalogue. Type locality: “ Sumatra ”, Indonesia.

Black Marsh Terrapin

( Figure 9G )

Singapore records.

Siebenrockiella crassicollis —D.S. Johnson, 1964: 48.—K. Lim, 1988a: 5 (MacRitchie Reservoir).—K. Lim & F. Lim, 1988c: 77 (Botanic Gardens).—K. Lim, 1989b: 21 (Upper Peirce Reservoir).—K. Lim, 1989h: 65 (Sime Road Forest).—K. Lim, 1990a: 11 (Seletar Reservoir).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 56.—D.S. Johnson, 1992: 68.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 128, 151.— K.K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1992: 9 (Lower Peirce Forest; Mandai Road; Old Upper Thomson Road; Sime Road Forest).—Wee, 1992: 74 (Lower Peirce Reservoir Park).—K.K.P. Lim, 1993b: 3 (Choa Chu Kang Road; Old Upper Thomson Road).—P.K.L. Ng et al., 1993: 20.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—R. Subaraj, 1994: 12 (Lornie Track [ LF]; MacRitchie Reservoir Northwest [ SRF]; MacRitchie Reservoir Park; Rifle Range Pipeline; Seletar Reservoir; Sime Road Forest; Thomson Ridge Trail [ TRF]; Ulu Sembawang Forest).—R. Subaraj et al., 1995: 5 (MacRitchie Reservoir; Mandai Track 15).—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 393.— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 454.— Chan-ard et al., 1999: 40.—B.L. Lim & Das, 1999: 92.—van Dijk, 2000: 22.—Iskandar, 2000: 130.—Touch et al., 2000: 57.—B.P.L. Goh et al., 2002: 144.— Anonymous, 2003: 92 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).— Auliya, 2007: 66–67.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 124, 165.—P.K.A. Ng, 2009: 21, 26, 53, 54, 115, 203.— Das, 2010: 173.—T.H. Ng & K.K.P. Lim, 2010: 119, 123.— D.C.J. Yeo & C.S.W. Chia, 2010: 35.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 124, 165.—M.A.H. Chua, 2014e: 197. (Mandai Lake Road).—Thomas & M.A.H. Chua, 2014: 30, 31 (Pulau Ubin).—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 42.—Riyanto & Mumpuni, 2019: 18.—van den Burg et al., 2020: 2.—TTWG, 2021: 206.

“ Siebenrockiella ” —P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 480.

Remarks. Regarded as non-native to Singapore ( Baker & Lim 2012), Ng & Lim (2010) stated that the possibility exists that S. crassicollis may be native given its distribution from southern Myanmar, east to Vietnam, and south to Peninsular Malaysia, eastern Sumatra, western Borneo, and Java (TTWG 2021). Although TTWG (2021) lists S. crassicollis as native to Singapore and occurring throughout Peninsular Malaysia, its distribution in the latter is restricted to the northern states (Ng & Lim 2010). Evidence against S. crassicollis nativeness to Singapore includes its wide-ranging distribution within Singapore ( Baker & Lim 2012; refer to localities below), no individuals being reported prior to Johnson (1964), and that it is commonly released in reverence of Vesak Day (Teo & Rajathurai 1997), indicative by individuals being found with red paint ( Lim 1990a). As mentioned, S. crassicollis was first reported in Singapore by Johnson (1964), who said “[it] can be found in the catchment area, and sometimes elsewhere, but it is not very common”. As Johnson (1964) did not report on any specimens or direct field records, the first published observation of S. crassicollis came 24 years later ( Table 2 ) of one seen moving in a pond at MR on 4 April 1988 ( Lim 1988a). In addition to the published locality records listed above, S. crassicollis was also seen at JLG on 9 January 2017 (A. Figueroa pers. obs.) and KM on 30 July 2014 (T.H. Ng pers. comm.).

Occurrence. Wide-ranging. Uncommon.

Singapore conservation status. Not Applicable.

Conservation priority. None, non-native species.

IUCN conservation status. Endangered [2021].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : ZRC.2.2530 (11-Mar-1990); Mandai Road : ZRC.2.7108– ZRC.2.7110 (08-Sep-2015); Seletar Reservoir : ZRC.2.2602 (04-May-1990); Sentosa Island : ZRC.2.6327– ZRC.2.6330 (May-1978) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. No specimens.

Singapore localities. Choa Chu Kang Road—Jurong Lake Gardens—Kranji Marshes—Lornie Forest—Lower Peirce Forest—Lower Peirce Reservoir Park—MacRitchie Reservoir Park—Mandai Road—Mandai Lake Road—Mandai Track 15—Old Upper Thomson Road—Pulau Ubin—Rifle Range Pipeline—Seletar Reservoir—Sentosa—Sime Road Forest—Singapore Botanic Gardens—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve— Thomson Ridge Forest—Ulu Sembawang Forest—Upper Peirce Reservoir.

Family Trionychidae Gray, 1825 (4 species)

Trionicidae Gray, 1825: 212 (type genus Trionyx Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1809 ).

Genus Amyda Schweigger in Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1809 (1 species)

Amyda Schweigger in Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1809: 365 (type species: Amyda javanica Schweigger in Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1809 [= subjective synonym of Testudo cartilaginea Boddaert 1770 ], by original monotypy; gender feminine).

Figures

FIGURE 9. A) Batagur borneoensis, B) Cuora amboinensis, C) Cyclemys dentata, D) Heosemys grandis, E) Heosemys spinosa, F) Notochelys platynota, G) Siebenrockiella crassicollis, and H) Amyda cartilaginea. Photographs by: Marjorie Chong [A], Law Ing Sind [B], Nick Baker [C, F], Joys Tan [D], Kelvin K.P. Lim [E], Marcus A.H. Chua [G], and Alex Figueroa [H].