Lycodon chrysoprateros Ota and Ross, 1994

Leviton, Alan E., Siler, Cameron D., Weinell, Jeffrey L. & Brown, Rafe M., 2018, Synopsis of the Snakes of the Philippines, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 64 (14), pp. 399-568 : 438-439

Lycodon chrysoprateros Ota and Ross, 1994

Dalupiri Island Asian Wolf Snake; Ross’ Wolf Snake

Lycodon chrysoprateros Ota and Ross, 1994:165–168 , figs. 8–9.— Lanza, 1999:89, 98.— Gaulke, 2002:89–90.— Oliveros, Ota, Crombie, and Brown, 2011:15.— Siler, Oliveros, Santanen, and Brown, 2013:268, fig. 3.— Wallach, Williams, and Boundy, 2014:393.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE SPECIMEN (S).— east side of Dalupiri Id., Babuyan Ids., northern Luzon , Philippines. Holotype: PNM 2045 .

PHILIPPINE DISTRIBUTION (ENDEMIC) ( Map 21D [p. 132]).— Dalupiri Id., Babuyan Ids. (off of northern Luzon Id.).

REMARKS.— Siler et al. (2013) used a multilocus molecular analysis DNA sequences to demonstrate that L. chrysoprateros is nearly genetically identical to L. alcalai (the Batanes Islands) as well as all populations on Calayan and Babuyan Claro islands. We suspect that L. chrysoprateros and L. alcalai may be conspecific.

CONSERVATION STATUS [IUCN].— Critically Endangered B1ab(iii) (IUCN [2016] ver. 3.1). See comments in the Introduction relating to the IUCN assessment of conservation status.)

Lycodon dumerilii (Boulenger, 1893) Photo figure 45–46 Duméril’s Asian Wolf Snake

Stegonotus dumerilii Boulenger, 1893:368 .— Taylor, 1922a:130.

Odontomus mülleri, Günther, 1879:78 .

Dryocalamus mccroryi Taylor, 1922b:197, pl. 6, figs. 1–3 (type locality: Abung-Abung, Basilan Ids.; holotype: CAS 60346 [formerly EHT 1517]) .

Lycodon dumerili, Leviton, 1965c:121 .— Lanza, 1999:89, 98, fig. 3.— Ota and Ross, 1994:170 et seq., fig.12b.— Gaulke, 2002:89–90.

Lycodon dumerilii, Siler, Oliveros, Santanen, and Brown, 2013:268 , 272, fig. 3.— Wallach, Williams, and Boundy, 2014:393.— Sanguila, Cobb, Siler, Diesmos Alcala, and Brown, 2016:94, fig. 69.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE SPECIMEN (S).— Surigao, Surigao del Norte Prov. (formerly Surigao Prov. ), Mindanao Id., Philippines. Lectotype: BMNH 1946.1 .15.6 (formerly BMNH 77.10.9.67) (Lectotype designated by Leviton, 1965c:123).

PHILIPPINE DISTRIBUTION (ENDEMIC) ( Map 22A [p. 133]).— Basilan, Dinagat, Leyte, Mindanao (Prov.: Agusan del Sur, Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Zamboanga), Samar, Siargao.

REMARKS.— Examination of a large adult specimen from Samar in the collections of the California Academy of Sciences ( CAS-SU 13233), which almost precisely matches the description of “ Stegonotus muelleri ” in Boulenger (1893:367), appears to suggest that Boulenger’s reference can be assigned to Lycodon dumerilii . Both the BMNH and CAS-SU specimens are large adults and the typical cross-bars are obscured by a near uniform darkening of the dorsum. The Academy specimen shows the faintest hint of former lighter cross-bars, at best about 20 in number, that were narrower than the darker areas. None encroached upon the ventrals. However, the BMNH specimen and the one we examed here are significantly larger than any known species included in the genus Lycodon and thus we recognize Stegonotus muelleri (q.v.) as a distinct group pending further study. Furthermore, S. muelleri has been collected with greatly inceased frequency; indeed, there are now several dozen specimens in the University of Kansas ( KU) collections from Samar, Leyte and eastern Mindanao. See additional comments herein under Stegonotus muelleri .

CONSERVATION STATUS [IUCN].— The conservation status of Lycodon dumerilii has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List [2016] ver. 3.1, but IUCN notes that it is listed in the Catalogue of Life.