Rhabdophis rhodomelas (Boie, 1827)

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 : 178-180

Rhabdophis rhodomelas (H. Boie in F. Boie, 1827)— Native.

Tropidonotus Rhodomelas H. Boie in F. Boie, 1827: 535. Lectotype: RMNH.RENA.1078, designated by Inger in Wallach et al. (2014: 419). Type locality: “ Java ”, Indonesia via lectotype designation.

Blue-necked Keelback

( Figure 20E ; Lower Peirce Forest)

Singapore records.

Amphiesma rhodomelas — Girard, 1858b: 165.— Jan, 1863: 730.— Jan & Sordelli, 1866 – 1870: pl. 29 II 2.—F. M̧ller, 1878: 603.

Tropidonotus rhodomelas —Sclater, 1891a: 42.—Sclater, 1891b: 242.

Macropisthodon rhodomelas — Boulenger, 1893: 267, 609.— Boulenger, 1896: 609.— Flower, 1896: 880, 894 (Botanic Gardens; Tanglin [= TF]).— Hanitsch, 1898: 19.— Flower, 1899: 664.—Ridley, 1899: 207.—Hanitsch, 1908: 43.— Boulenger, 1912: 129.— Hanitsch, 1912b: 16.— de Rooij, 1917: 92.— Sworder, 1923: 62.— de Haas, 1950: 545.— Harman, 1961: 183.—Taylor, 1965: 846.— Grandison, 1972: 84.— Choo-Toh et al., 1985: 121 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).—K. Lim & F. Lim, 1988b: 49 (North View Path [BTNR]).—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1988d: 86.—K. Lim & F. Lim, 1989: 3 (Woodlands Town Garden).—F.L.K. Lim & M.T.-M. Lee, 1989: 115.—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 54.—Subharaj & K.K.P. Lim, 1991b: 3 (Ulu Sembawang).—F.L.K. Lim, 1991: 67.—K.K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1992: 7 (Ulu Sembawang Track).—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 81, 148.— K.K.P. Lim, 1993a: 4 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).—K.K.P. Lim & Subaraj, 1994: 6 (Rifle Range Road; Upper Peirce Reservoir Road).—R. Subaraj, 1994: 12 (Bukit Kalang Service Road [SRF]).—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—K. Lim et al., 1995: 14 (Old Upper Thomson Road).—K. Lim, 1995: 16 (Mandai Range Forest).— David & Vogel, 1996: 124.—R. Subaraj, 199: 101.— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 367.—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 382.— Cox et al., 1998: 47.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 34.— Iskandar & Colijn, 2001: 100.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 148.— de Lang & Vogel, 2005: 35.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 113, 161.—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2008: 265.—R. Subaraj, 2008: 109–111 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).— Das, 2010: 336.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 390.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 113, 161.— Das, 2012a: 120.—Wallach et al., 2014: 419.—E.K. Chua, 2015: 90.— de Lang, 2017: 195.—K.K.P. Lim, 2017: 53 (Upper Seletar Reservoir Park).— Das, 2018: 91.—O’Shea, 2018: 413.—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 165, 181 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, after Teo & Rajathurai, 1997).— Cross, 2020f: 3 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020g: 1, 2 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020h: 1, 3, 7 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020n: 3, 7 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).—E.K. Chua, 2022: 13 (Central Catchment Nature Reserve).

Macrophisthodon [sic] rhodomelas — Buddle, 1929: 30 (Sembawang Naval Base [= SML]).—L.M. Chou, 1995: 148.

Macrophistodon [sic] rhodomelas —Chan-ard et al., 2015: 94.

Rhabdophis rhodomelas — Charlton, 2020: 213.—K.K.P. Lim, 2020: 2, 5 (Sime Road Internment Camp [= SICC]).

Remarks. Previously a species of Macropisthodon, Figueroa et al. (2016) showed Macropisthodon nested deep within Rhabdophis , and Takeuchi et al. (2018) formally synonymised Macropisthodon with Rhabdophis . Historically, R. rhodomelas appeared fairly common in Singapore as it was frequently collected. Girard (1858b) first reported R. rhodomelas from Singapore based on a specimen collected around 1842 by the U.S. Exploring Expedition. Next, Jan (1863) reported one from ZMH, M̧ller (1878) noted it in NMB, Sclater (1891a) examined five specimens collected by Gardiner and one from Davison deposited at ZSI, and Boulenger (1893, 1896) mentioned two collected by Dennys, one by Davison, and one by Ridley at NHMUK. There were also specimens at the Raffles Museum ( Hanitsch 1898; Ridley 1899). Flower (1896) described R. rhodomelas as very common as he observed 15 specimens at Tanglin in the span of four months, and Sworder (1923) said it was one of the most common snakes in Singapore. Flower (1896) also mentioned that Ridley observed one being eaten by a Naja sumatrana at SBG. Nowadays, R. rhodomelas is considered rare ( Baker & Lim 2012). After Buddle (1929) collected two at SNB, R. rhodomelas was next reported 32 years later ( Table 2 ) by Harman (1961). However, in 1944 and 1945, Cross (2020n) recorded a few individuals at Sime Road Internment Camp that were not published until recently ( Lim 2020). Then, after Choo-Toh et al. (1985) listed it as occurring in BTNR, it was reported several times in The Pangolin journal, and Teo & Rajathurai (1997) found it common. But since then, R. rhodomelas has only been reported twice, once by Subaraj (2008) who recorded one on 18 October 2004 at BTNR, and the other from 15 June 2008 at USRP ( Lim 2017). The individual shown in Figure 20E was found sleeping on a palm at LPF on 7 October 2015 (A. Figueroa pers. obs.).

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

Singapore conservation status. Vulnerable.

Conservation priority. Highest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2012].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH 1880.9 .10.31 (no date) , BMNH 1887.3 .28.2 (no date) , BMNH 1890.1 .8.1 (no date) , BMNH 1895.1 .8.6 (no date) , BMNH 1896.6.25.37–40 (no date), ZRC.2.4106 (6-Sep-1898) , ZRC.2.4114 (1921), ZRC.2.4068 (Apr-1953) , ZRC.2.2302 (1987); Botanic Gardens : ZRC.2.4110 (Apr-1897) , ZRC.2.4112 (06-Jan-1927) ; Bukit Timah: ZRC.2.4109 (26- Jun-1922) , ZRC.2.4113 (16-Sep-1922) , ZRC.2.4077 (Nov-1933) ; Mandai Road: ZRC.2.4108 (09-Feb-1932) ; Naval Base [= Sembawang Naval Base ] : ZRC.2.5382 (29-Mar-1969) ; Old Upper Thomson Road : ZRC.2.7036 (19-Jan-2014) ; Pasir Panjang: ZRC.2.4107 (21-May-1922) ; RAF Tengah [= Tengah Air Base ] : BMNH 1983.967 (no date); Tanglin Barracks [= Dempsey Hill] : ZRC.2.4098 (1936); Upper Peirce Reservoir Road : ZRC.2.6845 (07-Sep-2009) ; Upper Seletar Reservoir Road : ZRC.2.6920 (04- Nov-2010) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): CAS, NMI, NMW, SMNS, USNM, ZMH, ZMUC; Botanic Gardens: CAS, USNM.

Singapore localities. Bukit Timah (not specified)—Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Dempsey Hill*—Lower Peirce Forest—Mandai Range Forest—Mandai Road—Old Upper Thomson Road—Pasir Panjang—Rifle Range Road—Sembawang Naval Base*—Sime Road Forest—Singapore Botanic Gardens*—Singapore Island Country Club—Tyersall Forest*—Tengah Air Base*—Ulu Sembawang Forest—Upper Peirce Reservoir Road—Upper Seletar Reservoir Park—Upper Seletar Reservoir Road—Woodlands Town Garden*.

Genus Xenochrophis Günther, 1864 (3 species)

Xenochrophis Ģnther, 1864: 273 (type species: Psammophis cerasogaster Cantor, 1839b , by monotypy; gender masculine).

Figures

FIGURE 20. A) Ptyas fusca, B) Ptyas korros, C) Xenelaphis hexagonotus, D) Hebius petersii E) Rhabdophis rhodomelas, F) Xenochrophis maculatus, G) Xenochrophis trianguligerus, and H) Xenochrophis trianguligerus. Photographs by:Alex Figueroa [A, E–F], Emmanuel Goh [B], Nick Baker [C], Kelvin K.P. Lim [D, G], and Evan S.H. Quah [H].