Dendrelaphis cyanochloris (Wall, 1921)

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 : 142

Dendrelaphis cyanochloris (Wall, 1921) — Native.

Dendrophis pictus var. cyanochloris Wall, 1921: 155 . Lectotype: BMNH 1940.3 .4.27 (formerly IMC 7734 ), designated by Vogel & van Rooijen (2007: 33). Type locality: Described from a large number of localities (viz., “ Eastern Himalayas … Darjiling District [and] Assam … Jaipur … Sibsagar … Garo Hills … Khasi Hills … Naga Hills [and] Burma … Sima … Thandung Hills [and] Nicobars ”); later restricted to “Darjeeling”, India via lectotype designation.

Blue Bronzeback

( Figure 16F )

Singapore records.

Dendrelaphis cyanochloris —N. Baker, 2005: 5.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 99.—L.L. Grismer, 2011a: 189.—K.K.P. Lim & Cheong, 2011: 9.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 99, 161.—Thomas, 2014a: 5 (MacRitchie Reservoir, “forest at northern shore” [TRF]).—Wallach et al., 2014: 216.—I.S. Law, C. Lee & Serin, 2016: 132 (Venus Loop [WNP].—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 147, 162, 181 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).— Charlton, 2020: 157.—Figueroa & J. Tan, 2021: 1 (Prunus Boardwalk, Thomson Ridge Forest).

Dendrelaphis cyanochloris (part)—T.M. Leong, 2005: 81 (Mandai Track 15).

Remarks. In Singapore, and other parts of Southeast Asia, D. cyanochloris , D. formosus , and D. kopsteini occur sympatrically, and have been the cause of much systematic confusion, mainly due to poor species descriptions of D. cyanochloris and D. formosus (see Vogel & van Rooijen 2007). In an effort to provide a more detailed and systematic description of these two species, D. kopsteini was described as a new species (Vogel & van Rooijen 2007). Nonetheless, D. cyanochloris was first reported from Singapore by Leong (2005a) who collected a roadkill specimen at Mandai Track 15 on 2 October 2002, along with a specimen stored at LKCNHM that was collected on 25 February 1921 on Pulau Ubin that he says was misidentified as D. formosus . However, examination of that specimen revealed that it actually is D. formosus . Baker (2005) provided a photograph of one, but did not give any details concerning the record. Uncertainty regarding the presence of D. cyanochloris in Singapore persisted as Baker & Lim (2012) presented a photograph of a snake labelled D. cyanochloris , but stated that they did not want to use the photograph as confirmation of the species presence in Singapore. The only other published accounts of D. cyanochloris from Singapore comes from MNF on 18 June 2013 (Thomas 2014), WNP on 30 July 2016 ( Fig. 16F ) (Law et al. 2016), BTNR (Teo & Thomas 2019), and one observed feeding on a Gekko monarchus on 20 September 2021 ( Figueroa & Tan 2021).

Occurrence. Restricted to CNR and surrounding Nature Parks and forests. Rare.

Singapore conservation status. Endangered.

Conservation priority. Highest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2021].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Old Upper Thomson Road : ZRC.2.6117 (24-Jan-2005) ; Rifle Range Road: ZRC.2.6692 (08-May-2008) ; Upper Peirce Reservoir Road : ZRC.2.7116 (18-Dec-2014) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. No specimens.

Singapore localities. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Mandai Track 15—Old Upper Thomson Road—Pulau Ubin— Rifle Range Road—Thomson Ridge Forest—Upper Peirce Reservoir Road—Windsor Nature Park.

Figures

FIGURE 16. A) Ahaetulla mycterizans, B) Ahaetulla prasina C) Chrysopelea paradisi, D) Chrysopelea pelias, E) Dendrelaphis caudolineatus, F) Dendrelaphis cyanochloris, G) Dendrelaphis formosus, and H) Dendrelaphis haasi. Photographs by: Alex Figueroa [A–B, E, G–H], Kelvin K.P. Lim [C], Joys Tan [D], and Law Ing Sind [F].