Polypedates leucomystax (Gravenhorst, 1829)

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 : 59-62

Polypedates leucomystax (Gravenhorst, 1829) — Native.

Hyla leucomystax Gravenhorst, 1829: 26 . Type material: Type material originally at Breslau Museum (= MNHUW) apparently lost, according to Stejneger (1907: 157). Type locality: “ Java ”, Indonesia .

Four-lined Tree Frog

( Figure 7E ; Windsor Nature Park)

Singapore records.

Polypedates leucomystax — Cantor, 1847c: 1063, 1073.—Stejneger, 1907: 157–158.—K. Lim, 1988b: 6 (Nee Soon [NSSF]).—K. Lim, 1988f: 77 (Botanic Gardens; Bukit Timah Hill [BTNR]; Tanjong Tajam [PU]).— Hall, 1989: 33 (Pasir Panjang Hill).—K.K.P. Lim, 1989a: 56 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 57.—K.K.P. Lim, 1991a: 4 (Thomson Ridge [TRF]).— K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1991 d: 4 (Mount Imbiah [Sentosa]).—K.K.P. Lim & C.M. Yang, 1991: 227 (Ayer Rajah Campus [= NUS Kent Ridge]; Bukit Timah Campus [NUS]; Dover Road; Hindhede Drive; Jurong; Nee Soon Swamp Forest).— Corlett, 1992: 418.—D.S. Johnson, 1992: 75.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 38, 144.—K.K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1992: 9 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—P.K.L. Ng, 1992a: 139.—P.K.L. Ng, 1992b: 139.—W.K. Tan, 1992: 50.—Wee, 1992: 73 (Lower Peirce Reservoir Park).—E.K. Chua, 1993: 99.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 93.— L.M. Chou, 1995: 146.—R. Subaraj, 1995: 36 (Pulau Ubin).—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 400.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 19.—T.M. Leong & L.M. Chou, 1999: 115–117.—T.M. Leong, 2000: 3.—E.K. Chua, 2002: 13 (Pulau Ubin).—B.P.L. Goh et al., 2002: 142.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 145.— Karns et al., 2002: 488 (Pasir Ris Park Mangroves).— Anonymous, 2003: 32, 93 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).—Das, 2005: 270.— Das & Haas, 2005: 381.—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2007: 64.—Tapley & GirGin, 2015: 7.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 60, 159.—Sheridan, 2008: 165.—T.M. Leong et al., 2009: 364 ( Singapore Zoo).—M.F.C. Ng, 2009: 109 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).—Sheridan, 2009: 583–592 (Mandai Orchid Garden [= MRF]).—Bickford et al., 2010: 121, 123.—S.H. Chan & C. Goh, 2010: 105 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).—E.K. Chua, 2010: 103, 128 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).—Sheridan et al., 2010: 369–379 (Mandai Orchid Garden [= MRF]).—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2010: 88.—M.A.H. Chua, 2011: 279 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).—L.L. Grismer, 2011a: 62.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 487.—T.M. Leong, 2011: 22.— Ang et al., 2012: 50 (Hort Park).—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 50, 60, 159.— Gilbert et al., 2012: 389, 393.— Kuraishi et al., 2012: 55.—M.F.C. Ng, 2012: 68, 146.—T.H. Ng & D.C.J. Yeo, 2012: 100.—K.Y. Chong et al., 2013: 290.—T.M. Leong, 2014: 8. (Bukit Kalang [SRF]).—Streicher et al., 2014: 364.—E.K. Chua, 2015: 126.—Rognes, 2015: 8, 28, 29.—R. Subaraj, 2015: 13, 52, 54, 56 (Mandai Range Forest; Night Safari; Project Western Boundary [= MBP]; Stephen Lee Woods [= RPN]; Ulu Sembawang Forest; Upper Seletar Peninsula [= USNF]).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (Mandai Range Forest; Night Safari; Project Western Boundary [= MBP]; Singapore Zoo; Stephen Lee Woods [= RPN]; Upper Seletar Peninsula [= USNF]).—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2016: 173, 174 (Pulau Tekong).—Shahrudin, 2016a: 30.—Shahrudin, 2016b: 163.—A. Tay et al., 2017: 104 (Clementi Woods).—Zhang & Thomas, 2017: 176 (Bukit Surau [Pulau Ubin]).—S.M. Chong et al., 2018: 252, 253.—R. Tan & M.-R. Low, 2018: 40 ( Singapore Zoo).—H.C. Ho et al., 2019: 124, 125 (Alexandra Woodlands; Clementi Forest).—Purkayastha et al., 2019: 528.—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2019: 128, 132 (Kent Ridge Park; National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus).— R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 153 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).—Allain & Goodman, 2020: 217 ( Singapore Botanic Gardens [Evolution Garden]).—E.K. Chua, 2022: 91, 167 (Namly housing estate; Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).

Polypedates quadrilineatus —Ģnther, 1859a: 79.— Ģnther, 1864: xxvi, 429.

Rhacophorus maculatus var. quadrilineata — Boulenger, 1882a: 84–85.

Rhacophorus leucomystax — Boulenger, 1889b: 29–30.— Flower, 1896: 905–906.— Hanitsch, 1898: 8.— Flower, 1900: 898.—Hanitsch, 1908: 48.— Hanitsch, 1912b: 18.—van Kampen, 1923: 249.— Berry, 1964: 227–243 (Botanic Gardens).—D.S. Johnson, 1964: 28.— Berry, 1965: 163–174 (Botanic Gardens).— Inger, 1966: 313, 315.—Inger & Bacon, 1968: 602.—M.C. Ting, 1970: 38 ( Singapore Botanic Gardens; “garden of the Department of Botany, University of Singapore ” [= NUS Bukit Timah Campus]).— Chuang, 1973: 4.—D.H. Murphy, 1973: 65.—D.S. Johnson, 1973a: 117.— Elliott & Karunakaran, 1974: 203–215.— Cedhagen, 1997: 4.—Phang et al., 1983: 24 (Botanic Gardens).— Choo-Toh et al., 1985: 128 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).

Rhacophorus leucomystax var. sexvirgata —van Kampen, 1923: 246–250.

Rhacophorus leucomystax leucomystax — Bourret, 1942: 430.— Grandison, 1972: 72–73.

Rana leucomystax —D.S. Johnson, 1992: 40.

Polypedates leucomastyx [sic]—Hawkeswood & A. Sommung, 2018b: 1.

Remarks. Much needed research is required to verify the identity of P. leucomystax in Singapore. Polypedates leucomystax represents a problematic species complex harbouring cryptic species that occur sympatrically ( Kuraishi et al. 2012). Narins et al. (1998) identified two morphs in Peninsular Malaysia that differed in morphology, allozyme attributes, and bioacoustics. Their “Morph B” was synonymous with the “Malay Clade” of Kuraishi et al. (2013), which was later delineated as P. discantus (Rujirawan et al. 2013) which ranges from Thailand to southern Peninsular Malaysia (Rujirawan et al. 2013). Sheridan et al. (2010) detected two types of calls in P. leucomystax from Singapore, but both were considered to be from the same species .

Cantor (1847c) first reported P. leucomystax from Singapore based on a specimen collected in 1845. Flower (1896) found P. leucomystax to be very common in Singapore, as it continues to be today ( Baker & Lim 2012), however no new observations were reported for 57 years ( Table 2 ) between Stejneger (1907) and Berry (1964). Outside of mangroves, P. leucomystax can be found in any habitat throughout Singapore, including urban areas ( Baker & Lim 2012).

Occurrence. Ubiquitous. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Least Concern.

Conservation priority. Lowest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2004].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH 1845.3.7.12–13 (no date), BMNH 1896.6.25.120–178 (no date), BMNH 1956.1 .10.26 (no date), ZRC.1.903 (20-Sep-1897) , ZRC.1.2775– ZRC.1.2778 (Aug-1988) , ZRC. 1.11062 (27-Jun-1902); Ayer Rajah Campus [= NUS Kent Ridge] : ZRC.1.1346 (28-Apr-1976); Botanic Gardens : ZRC.1.2227– ZRC.1.2250 (24-Oct-1974); Bukit Batok : ZRC.1.13087 (11-Jul-2012); Bukit Timah : ZRC. 1.3515 (16-Oct-1982); Bukit Timah Campus [ NUS] : ZRC.1.1490– ZRC.1.1497 (17-Dec-1974); Bukit Timah Nature Reserve : ZRC.1.13063– ZRC.1.13064 (25- Jun-2012) , ZRC.1.13069– ZRC.1.13070 (26-Jun-2012); Central Catchment : ZRC.1.12570– ZRC.1.12571 (02-Dec-2006); Dover Road : ZRC.1.1665– ZRC.1.1667 (07-Dec-1974); Greenbank Park : ZRC.1.3436, ZRC.1.3439, ZRC.1.3441(Jul-1996); Hindhede Drive : ZRC.1.1347(Apr-1981) , ZRC.1.1524– ZRC.1.1525 (04-Jun-1986) , ZRC.1.1527 (17-Apr-1988) , ZRC.1.1531 (10-May-1988) , ZRC.1.1532 (30-May-1988) , ZRC.1.1533 (06-Jun-1988) , ZRC.1.1559 (11-Sep-1988) , ZRC.1.1558 (20-Sep-1988) , ZRC.1.1561 (07- Dec-1988) , ZRC.1.2758 (1989), ZRC.1.1575 (13-Jan-1989) , ZRC. 1.8221 (Jul-2001); Holland Woods [= CF] : ZRC.1.13067– ZRC.1.13068 (26-Jun-2012); Kent Ridge Park : ZRC.1.13065– ZRC.1.13066 (25-Jun-2012); Jurong Road : ZRC.1.3437, ZRC.1.3440 (Aug-1996) , ZRC.1.3438 (Sep-1996); Jurong : ZRC.1.1498 (28-Feb-1970); Labrador Nature Reserve : ZRC.1.13043, ZRC.1.13049– ZRC.1.13052 (18-Jun-2012); Lim Chu Kang : ZRC.1.13071– ZRC.1.13077 (27-Jun-2012); Lower Peirce Forest : ZRC.1.10516– ZRC.1.10520 (14-Mar-2003) , ZRC.1.12547 (04-May-2006) , ZRC.1.13057 (21-Jun-2012); MacRitchie North Forest : ZRC.1.13059– ZRC. 1.13060 (22-Jun-2012); Mandai Orchid Garden [= MBP] : ZRC.1.12533 (10-Mar-2006) , ZRC.1.12535 (14-Mar-2006) , ZRC.1.12542, ZRC.1.12544– ZRC.1.12546 (02-May-2006) , ZRC.1.12567 (17-Nov-2006) , ZRC.1.12572– ZRC.1.12573 (20-Jan-2007) , ZRC.1.12543 (02-May-2006) , ZRC.1.12565 (17-May-2006) , ZRC.1.12580 (09-Feb-2007) , ZRC.1.12584 (16-Feb-2007); Mount Faber Park : ZRC.1.13053 (20-Jun-2012); Nee Soon Swamp Forest : ZRC.1.1787 (30-Mar-1990); Old Upper Thomson Road : ZRC.1.13058 (21-Jun-2012); Pulau Tekong : ZRC.1.3442 (Aug-1996) , ZRC.1.12493 (29-Sep-2012); Seletar Reservoir ]: BMNH 1983.475 (no date) ; Sime Road Forest : ZRC.1.10407 (15-Jan-2003) , ZRC.1.11355 (06-Sep-2004); Singapore Zoo : ZRC.1.12540 (14- Apr-2006); Telok Blangah Hill Park : ZRC.1.13044– ZRC.1.13048 (18-Jun-2012); Upper Thomson Road : ZRC. 1.13061 (22-Jun-2012); Upper Thomson [ TNP] : ZRC.1.13054– ZRC.1.13056 (21-Jun-2012) [Thomson Pond]; Upper Seletar Reservoir Park : ZRC.1.13084– ZRC.1.13086 (11-Jul-2012); Zhenghua Park : ZRC.1.13078– ZRC.1.13083 (05-Jul-2012) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): FMNH, NMW, RBINS, ZMH, ZMO; Botanic Gardens: BPBM; Nee Soon Pipeline [= NSSF]: BPBM; Pulau Merlimau [= Pulau Jurong]: BPBM; University of Malaya [= NUS Bukit Timah]: BPBM

Singapore localities. Alexandra Woodlands—Bukit Batok—Bukit Timah (not specified)—Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Clementi Forest—Clementi Woods—Dover Road—Greenbank Park—Hindhede Drive—Hort Park—Jurong—Jurong Road—Kent Ridge Park—Labrador Nature Reserve—Lim Chu Kang—Lower Peirce Forest—Lower Peirce Reservoir Park—MacRitchie North Forest—Mandai Bird Park—Mandai Range Forest—Mount Faber Park —Namly Ave—National University of Singapore Bukit Timah Campus— National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Night Safari—Old Upper Thomson Road—Pasir Panjang Hill—Pasir Ris Park Mangroves—Pulau Jurong—Pulau Semakau— Pulau Tekong—Pulau Ubin—Rainforest Park North—Seletar Reservoir—Sentosa—Sime Road Forest— Singapore Botanic Gardens—Singapore Zoo—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve—Telok Blangah Hill Park—Thomson Nature Park—Thomson Ridge Forest—Ulu Sembawang Forest—Upper Seletar Reservoir Park—Upper Thomson Road—Windsor Nature Park—Zhenghua Nature Park.

Genus Theloderma Tschudi, 1838 (1 species)

Theloderma Tschudi, 1838: 32–33 , 73–74 (type species: Theloderma leporosa Tschudi, 1838 , by monotypy; gender feminine).

Figures

FIGURE 7. A) Pulchrana laterimaculata, B) Sylvirana guentheri, C) Leptomantis cyanopunctatus, D) Nyctixalus pictus, E) Polypedates leucomystax, F) Theloderma horridum, G) Crocodylus porosus, and H) Caretta caretta. Photographs by: Alex Figueroa [A–B, D–F], Marcus A.H. Chua [C], Jensen G.H. Seah [G], and Kelvin K.P. Lim [H].