Bronchocela cristatella (Kuhl, 1820)

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 : 88-90

Bronchocela cristatella (Kuhl, 1820) — Native.

Agama cristatella Kuhl, 1820: 108 . Lectotype: Illustration in plate 89 figure 1 of Seba (1734) designated as lectotype of Agama cristatella Kuhl, 1820 and Agama gutturosa Merrem, 1820 by Figueroa (2021: 398) to stablise taxonomy of the genus-group name Bronchocela and its type species since the type material at MNHN is apparently lost ( Brygoo 1988: 15). Type locality: None stated/traced (see Figueroa 2021).

Green Crested Lizard

( Figure 10F ; Telok Blangah Hill Park)

Singapore records.

Bronchocela cristatella — Gray, 1845: xi, 241.— Cantor, 1847a: 637.— Cantor, 1847c: 1068, 1076.— Girard, 1858b: 411.—K. Lim, 1990a: 10 (Bukit Batok Nature Park; Jalan Katu; Sentosa).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 55.— Denzer & Manthey, 1991: 311.—K.K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1991: 5 (Nee Soon Camp; Pulau Ubin; Singapore Botanic Gardens).—Subharaj & K.K.P. Lim, 1991b: 3 (King’s Avenue).—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 105–106, 149.—K.K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1992: 8 (Kampong Melayu [Pulau Ubin]; Mandai Ponds; Nature Walk [Sentosa]).—Wee, 1992: 74 (Lower Peirce Reservoir Park).—E.K. Chua, 1993: 83, 86.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—K.K.P. Lim & Subaraj, 1994: 7 (Kranji).—R. Subaraj et al., 1995: 4 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—R. Subaraj, 1995: 33, 35 (Pulau Ubin).—K.K.P. Lim, 1996: 50.—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 388.— Cox et al., 1998: 98.—Diong & S.S.L. Lim, 1998: 345, 346, 350 (Botanic Gardens; Fort Canning; Pulau Ubin).—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 21.—E.K. Chua, 2000: 106.—E.K. Chua, 2002: 107.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 149.— Anonymous, 2003: 92.— Hallermann, 2005: 182.—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2007: 154, 186.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 74, 159.— Manthey, 2008: 49.—P.K.A. Ng, 2009: 18.—E.K. Chua, 2010: 100 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).— Das, 2010: 180.—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2010: 201–202.—L.L. Grismer, 2011a: 95.—L.L. Grismer, 2011b: 137, 143.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 220.—O’Dempsey, 2011: 22.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 74, 159.— Davison et al., 2012: 5, 15, 158.—L.K. Wang et al., 2012: 256.—R.K.H. Yeo, 2013: 30, 31 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 94.—E.K. Chua, 2015: 106.—R. Subaraj, 2015: 25, 32, 38, 52, 54 (Mandai Range Forest; Night Safari; Singapore Zoo; Stephen Lee Woods [= RPN]).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 4, 6, 7 (Night Safari; Singapore Zoo; Stephen Lee Woods [= RPN]).—L. Ng, 2015: 23 (Lower Peirce Reservoir).—E.K. Chua et al., 2016: 19.—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2016: 178 (Pulau Tekong).—H.C. Ho et al., 2019: 124, 125 (Alexandra Woodlands; Clementi Forest).—M.L. Kwak et al., 2019b: 268.—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2019: 129, 133 (Kent Ridge Park; National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus).—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 155, 179 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).—N. Baker, 2020a: 13.—K.K.P. Lim, 2020: 5 (Adam Park; Changi; Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).—E.K. Chua, 2022: 36 (Jalan Asas).— Janssen & Sy, 2022: 18, 148.

Broncocele [sic] Moluccana —Stoliczka, 1870a: 106.

Broncocele [sic] moluccana —Stoliczka, 1870c: 107.—Stoliczka, 1870d: 179.

Broncocele [sic] cristatella —Stoliczka, 1870d: 178.

Bronchocella moluccana — Anderson, 1871: 32.

Calotes cristatellus — Boulenger, 1882a: 317.— Flower, 1896: 871.— Hanitsch, 1898: 9.— Flower, 1899: 639.—Ridley, 1899: 206.—Hanitsch, 1908: 41.— Hanitsch, 1912a: 8.— Hanitsch, 1912b: 15.— Sworder, 1924a: 20 (Pulau Ubin).—Sworder, 1925a: 66.— Smith, 1935: 185.—Sharma, 1973: 231.—F.L.K. Lim, 1984: 18.— Choo-Toh et al., 1985: 125 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).—N. Koh, 1986: 1–2.— Kwok, 1986: 135 (Science Centre Road).—K. Lim & F. Lim, 1988b: 50 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve; Pulau Ubin; Sentosa Coralarium).—K. Lim & F. Lim, 1989: 3 (Mandai Lake Road).—K. Lim, 1989b: 19 (Loyang Track).—Hall, 1989d: 33.—K. Lim, 1989e: 39 (Mandai Track 16).—K. Lim, 1989h: 65 (Pulau Ubin; Upper Peirce Reservoir).—Tan, 1992: 71.— Cross, 2020a: 4 (Changi; Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020b: 2 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020c: 1 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020g: 3 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020h: 1, 2, 3 (Adam Park; Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020n: 5, 7 (Changi; Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).

Calotes ophiomachus — Meyer, 1887: 6.

Calotes versicolor —D.S. Johnson, 1964: 26.— Chuang, 1973: 4.—Phang et al., 1983: 23 ( Singapore Botanic Gardens).—D.S. Johnson, 1992: 35.

Bronchocela cristatellus —L.M. Chou, 1995: 147.

“Green Crested Tree Lizard”— Anonymous, 2014: 31, 87 ( Singapore Polytechnic).

Remarks. Bronchocela cristatella was first reported from Singapore based on specimens in NHMUK from Argent, Belcher, and Warwick ( Gray 1845). Perhaps because it was so common near urban areas, numerous specimens of B. cristatella were collected throughout the years (e.g., Girard 1858b; Stoliczka 1870a; Hanitsch 1912a), and MNHN-RA-1912.15 was collected on 2 January 1912 by an unknown collector. Flower (1896, 1899b) found B. cristatella abundant throughout Malaysia and Singapore, and Sworder (1925a) said it was one of the most common lizards in Singapore. Despite no new published observations for 39 years ( Table 2 ), aside from recently published records from 1944 and 1945 ( Cross 2020n; Lim 2020), Johnson (1964) and Chuang (1973) still found B. cristatella common. Bronchocela cristatella remains common today, but Baker & Lim (2012) categorised it as uncommon because it has been outcompeted and largely displaced from most non-forested areas by the non-native Calotes versicolor ( Diong et al. 1994) . Calotes versicolor appeared in Singapore in the 1980s, likely reaching as a stowaway ( Lim & Chou 1990). Koh (1986) asserted that B. cristatella was still more common than C. versicolor , but by 1989 C. versicolor was already widespread and displacing B. cristatella ( Lim & Lim 1989) . By 1997, B. cristatella already seemed confined to forested areas (Teo & Rajathurai 1997). Given how rapid C. versicolor spread throughout Singapore within five years of its arrival, and that over 30 years elapsed since it first appeared, it seems apparent that B. cristatella has found refuge from C. versicolor’s invasion in Singapore’s forested areas.

Occurrence. Widespread. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Least Concern.

Conservation priority. Moderate, because it is being outcompeted by Calotes versicolor , which is non-native.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2021].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH XXIV.21.e–f (no date), BMNH XXIV.21.g (no date), BMNH 1889.11 .8.2 (no date) , BMNH 1880.9 .10.36 (no date) ; ZRC.2.354 (12-Mar-1911) , ZRC.2.369 (18-Jan-1952) ; Botanic Gardens: ZRC.2.351 (Jan-1896) , ZRC.2.352– ZRC.2.353 (Nov-1896) , ZRC.2.356 (02-Mar-1921) ; Ayer Rajah Road [= NUS Kent Ridge]: ZRC.2.1912 (Oct-1975) , ZRC.2.1913– ZRC.2.1914 (Feb-1976) ; Bukit Batok Park: ZRC.2.2664 (15-Apr-1990) ; Bukit Timah Nature Reserve : ZRC.2.6138 (04-May-2005) ; Fort Canning : ZRC.2.355 (Jan1916) ; Island Club Road [ SICC]: ZRC.2.6114 (03-Dec-2004) , ZRC.2.6164 (10-Oct-2005) , ZRC.2.6772 (25-Sep-2008) ; Kent Ridge [ NUS]: ZRC.2.5506 (12-Sep-2002) ; Labrador Park: ZRC.2.6065 (11-May-2004) ; Lim Chu Kang Road [ LKC]: ZRC.2.6337 (Feb-1991) ; Nanyang University, Jurong Campus [ NTU]: ZRC.2.6294 (1981); Old Upper Thomson Road : ZRC.2.6071 (30-May-2004) ; Pulau Ubin: ZRC.2.357– ZRC.2.360 (21- Feb-1921) , ZRC.2.361– ZRC.2.365 (10-Mar-1921) , ZRC.2.366– ZRC.2.367, ZRC.2.6295 (11-Apr-1921) , ZRC.2.368 (31-Aug-1921) , ZRC.2.7104 (06-Nov-2013) ; RAF Seletar [= Seletar Air Base]: BMNH 1983.950 – 952 (no date); Rifle Range Road : ZRC.2.5272 (26-Oct-2001) , ZRC.2.6340 (17-Feb-2005) ; Sime Road Forest : ZRC.2.6786 (16-Oct-2008) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): CAS, FMNH, MCZ, MNHN, NMI, NMW, ROM, SMNS, UMZC, USNM, UWBM, ZMB, ZMH, ZMUC; Botanic Gardens: EM; Chua Kua Kuang [= Choa Chu Kang]: SAMA; Eng Neo Avenue Forest: UBCBBM; Jurong: CAS; MacRitchie Reservoir: UF; Nee Soon [= NSSF]: BPBM.

Singapore localities. Adam Park—Alexandra Woodlands—Bukit Batok Park (not specified)—Bukit Batok Nature Park—Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Changi—Choa Chu Kang—Clementi Forest—Eng Neo Avenue Forest—Fort Canning—Jalan Asas—Jalan Katu—Jurong (not specified)—Kent Ridge Park—King’s Avenue—Kranji—Labrador Park—Lim Chu Kang—Lower Peirce Reservoir Park—Loyang Track— MacRitchie Reservoir—Mandai Lake Road—Mandai Ponds—Mandai Range Forest—Mandai Track 16—Nanyang Technological University Jurong Campus—National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus—Nee Soon Camp—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Night Safari—Old Upper Thomson Road—Pulau Tekong—Pulau Ubin—Rainforest Park North—Rifle Range Road—Science Centre Road—Seletar Air Base—Sentosa—Sime Road Forest—Singapore Botanic Gardens—Singapore Island Country Club— Singapore Polytechnic—Singapore Zoo—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve—Telok Blangah Hill Park— Upper Peirce Reservoir.

Figures

FIGURE 10. A) Dogania subplana, B) Pelochelys cantorii, C) Pelochelys cantorii, D) Pelodiscus cf. sinensis, E) Aphaniotis fusca, F) Bronchocela cristatella, G) Calotes versicolor, and H) Draco fimbriatus. Photographs by: Kelvin K.P. Lim [A–B, D–E], Dr. Teo Eng Wah @ Vince Adam [C], Thio Hui Bing [F], Alex Figueroa [G], and Evan S.H. Quah [H].