Xenochrophis vittatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

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 : 182-183

Xenochrophis vittatus (Linnaeus, 1758) — Non-native; Established.

Coluber vittatus Linnaeus, 1758: 219 . Type material: None designated; type matieral originally at NRM apparently lost, according to Andersson (1899: 5, 13) . Type locality: “[h]abitat in America”, in error.

Striped Keelback

( Figure 21A )

Singapore records.

Xenochrophis vittatus —K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1988: 85 (Jurong Junior College [= River Valley High School, Jurong West]; Pandan Gardens).—K. Lim & F. Lim, 1989: 3 (Sungei Buloh [ SBWR]).— F.L.K. Lim & M.T.-M. Lee, 1989: 59, 117.—K. Lim, 1990a: 9 (Lim Chu Kang [ LCK]; Neo Tiew Road-Jalan Gemala [ LCK]).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 54.—K.K.P. Lim, 1991a: 3 (Jalan Bahtera [ LCK]; Jalan Ulu Sembawang [Ulu Sembawang]; Kranji Reservoir Park; Lim Chu Kang Road [ LCK]; Neo Tiew Lane [ LCK]; Sungei Tengah Road).—Subharaj & K.K.P. Lim, 1991a: 3 (Neo Tiew Road [ LCK]).—Subharaj & K.K.P. Lim, 1991b: 3 (Neo Tiew Lane [ LCK]; Neo Tiew Road [ LCK]).—F.L.K. Lim, 1991: 65.—K.K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1992: 7 (Choa Chu Kang Road [ CCK]; Neo Tiew Lane [ LCK]; Neo Tiew Road [ LCK]).—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 147.—K.K.P. Lim, 1993a: 4 (Choa Chu Kang Road [ CCK]; Neo Tiew Road [ LCK]).—K.K.P. Lim, 1993b: 2 (Kranji Way; Lim Chu Kang Road [ LCK]; Neo Tiew Road [ LCK]).—K.K.P. Lim & Subaraj, 1994: 6 (Upper Bukit Timah Road).—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.— David & Vogel, 1996: 135.— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 398.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 36.— Iskandar & Colijn, 2001: 110.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 147.— Anonymous, 2003: 92 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).— de Lang & Vogel, 2005: 258.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 114, 166.— Das, 2010: 344.—D.C.J. Yeo & C.S.W. Chia, 2010: 35.—D.C.J. Yeo et al., 2010: 154.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 390.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 114, 166.— Das, 2012b: 107.—T.K. Fung & X.L. Chan, 2014: 108 (Pulau Ubin).—E. Chan, 2015: 55 (Sarimbun Scout Camp).— de Lang, 2017: 221.— Morgany, 2018a: 119 (Pasir Ris Park).—van den Burg et al., 2020: 2.—Fantuzzi & Figueroa, 2020: 87–88 (East Coast Park [Parkland Green]; Pasir Ris Park Mangroves).

Ceratophallus vittatus —Wallach et al., 2014: 154.

Remarks. Native to Bangka, Java, Sumatra, and Weh Islands in Indonesia (Wallach et al. 2014), X. vittatus is believed to have reached Singapore as a stowaway (Lim & Lim 1988). De Lang & Vogel (2005) incorrectly listed X. vittatus as native to Singapore. The first record of X. vittatus in Singapore was of one seen in a drain at Pandan Gardens in July 1982 (Lim & Lim 1988). Lim & Lim (1988) accepted that X. vittatus was already established in Singapore because there were three separate sightings between 1982 and 1988. Figueroa & Fantuzzi (2020) discussed that records preceding 2013 were confined to western Singapore until Fung & Chan (2014) reported one from Pulau Ubin on 2 August 2013, which also represented the first offshore record. Morgany (2018a) then photographed a dead individual in the bill of a Halcyon smyrnensis at PRP on 25 August 2018, and Figueroa & Fantuzzi (2020) added two eastern records, one from ECP on 16 June 2018 and one from PRPM on 11 September 2018. The individual photographed at PRPM in Figure 21A on 4 January 2021 shows that X. vittatus can use mangrove habitats (H.B. Thio pers. comm.). These records suggest that X. vittatus is likely distributed throughout Singapore. Inspection of museum records reveal that X. vittatus was known from eastern Singapore even earlier. The individual from an unknown location on 2 October 1988 in Lim & Lim (1988) was collected from somewhere in Tampines, and ZRC.2.2339 was collected from Pulau Ubin on 9 November 2011. In addition, MCZ R-5676 was collected by Putnam in Singapore prior to 1886 (year the specimen was accessioned at MCZ). Given that MCZ R-938 ( Hydrophis platurus ) and MCZ R-1416 ( Eretmochelys imbricata ) were collected by Putnam in 1857 and 1858, respectively, MCZ R-5676 was likely collected around that time. There are also five specimens deposited at ZMH, but they lack any other collecting data. If indeed collected from Singapore, it is also unknown if they were collected between the time of MCZ R-5676 and Lim & Lim (1988). It may be that MCZ R-5676 and the ZMH specimens were either early stowaways or they were imported into Singapore.

Occurrence. Wide-ranging. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Not Applicable.

Conservation priority. None, non-native species.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2012].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : ZRC.2.6437 (no date); Choa Chu Kang Road : ZRC.2.3374 (08-Nov-1992); Lim Chu Kang : ZRC.2.4735– ZRC. 2.4739 (05-Mar-1990); Neo Tiew Crescent [ LCK] : ZRC . 2.6029 (05-Apr-2004); Neo Tiew Road [ LCK] : ZRC.2.2445 (14-Feb-1989) , ZRC.2.3030 (20-Sep-1990); Pulau Ubin : ZRC.2.6946 (09-Nov-2011); Tampines : ZRC.2.2339 (02-Oct-1988) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): MCZ, ZMH; Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve: UWBM.

Singapore localities. Choa Chu Kang—Jurong West—Kranji Reservoir Park—Kranji Way—Lim Chu Kang— Pandan Gardens—Pasir Ris Park—Pulau Ubin—Sarimbun Scout Camp—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve— Sungei Tengah Road—Tampines—Ulu Sembawang Forest—Upper Bukit Timah Road.

Figures

FIGURE 21. A) Xenochrophis vittatus, B) Sibynophis melanocephalus, C) Cylindrophis ruffus, D) Aipysurus eydouxii, E) Aipysurus eydouxii, F) Bungarus fasciatus, G) Calliophis bivirgatus, and H) Calliophis gracilis. Photographs by: Thio Hui Bing [A], Alex Figueroa [B], Nick Baker [C], Kelvin K.P. Lim [D], Ria Tan [E], Law Ing Sind [F], Mary-Ruth Low [G], and Evan S.H. Quah [H].