Kaloula pulchra (Gray, 1831)

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 : 43-44

Kaloula pulchra (Gray, 1831) — Non-native; Established.

Kaloula pulchra Gray, 1831b: 38 . Types: Type material presumably originally at BMNH apparently lost (Parker 1934: 86). Type locality: “ China ” .

Banded Bull Frog ( Figure 5H ; Admiralty Park)

Singapore records.

Callula pulchra — Flower, 1896: 908–910.— Hanitsch, 1898: 8.— Flower, 1900: 906–908.—A.L. Butler, 1904: 390, 392.— Boulenger, 1912: 264.— Hanitsch, 1912b: 18.— Hanitsch, 1912b: 18.—M.A. Smith, 1916a: 37.— F.L.K. Lim, 1984: 18 .

Kaloula pulchra — Chasen, 1925: 100.— Berry, 1964: 227–243 (Botanic Gardens).— Berry, 1965: 163–174 (Botanic Gardens).—Inger & Bacon, 1968: 602.—Hall, 1989d: 33 (Pasir Panjang Hill).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 57.—K.K.P. Lim & C.M. Yang, 1991: 228–229 (Ayer Rajah Campus [= NUS Kent Ridge]; Botanic Gardens; Bukit Timah Hill [BTNR]; Commonwealth Drive Park; Dover Road; Hindhede Drive; Jurong Campus [NTU]).—D.S. Johnson, 1992: 40.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 39, 144 (West Coast Park).—P.K.L. Ng, 1992a: 137.—P.K.L. Ng, 1992b: 137.—Zhao & Adler, 1993: 161.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 93.—L.M. Chou, 1995: 146.—R. Subaraj, 1995: 36 (Pulau Ubin).—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 401.— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 56.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 14.—T.M. Leong & L.M. Chou, 1999: 121–123.—T.M. Leong, 2000: 4.—E.K. Chua, 2002: 13, 107 (Pulau Ubin).—B.P.L. Goh et al., 2002: 140.—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 & Haas, 2005: 379.—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2007: 64.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 64, 165.—Bickford et al., 2010: 121, 123.—S.H. Chan & C. Goh, 2010: 110 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2010: 88.—D.C.J. Yeo & C.S.W. Chia, 2010: 32.—M.A.H. Chua, 2011: 279 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).—L.L. Grismer, 2011a: 55.—T.M. Leong, 2011: 22, 23.—T.M. Leong & K.K.P. Lim, 2011: 140.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 254.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 53, 64, 165.— Gilbert et al., 2012: 393.—T.H. Ng & D.C.J. Yeo, 2012: 95–96, 100.—R. Subaraj, 2015: 53 (Night Safari).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 6, 7 (Night Safari; Singapore Zoo).—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2016: 173 (Pulau Tekong).—S.M. Chong et al., 2018: 253, 254.—H.C. Ho et al., 2019: 125 (Alexandra Woodlands; Clementi Forest).—M.E.Y. Low & Pocklington, 2019: 105.— H.T.W. Tan et al., 2019: 132 (Kent Ridge Park; National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus).—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 154, 179 (Dairy Farm Nature Park).— Decemson et al., 2021: 17924.—Y.Y. Ho, 2021: 350.—B.C. Ng, 2021: 135, 136 (Pang Sua Woodland).—Shahrudin, 2021: 139.—Sankar et al., 2022: 465 (Kranji Marshes).

Kaloula pulchra pulchra —Parker, 1934: 84–86.— Inger, 1966: 121.

Caloula pulchra —D.S. Johnson, 1964: 28.— Phang et al., 1983: 24 (Botanic Gardens).— Choo-Toh et al., 1985: 128 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).

Kaloula pulcra —E.K. Chua, 2010: 103 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).

Remarks. Kaloula pulchra represents Singapore’s second earliest-recorded non-native amphibian after D. bengalensis ( Girard 1858b) . The native distribution of K. pulchra encompasses northeastern India and Bangladesh, east to southern China and Taiwan, and south throughout Indochina to Peninsular Malaysia (Frost 2017). Populations from Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines are considered introduced (Ng & Yeo 1990; Lever 2003; Sy et al. 2015). In Singapore, K. pulchra was first documented by Flower (1896) who was informed that the species was unknown in Singapore until about 10 years prior, “introduced by a half-caste”, and rapidly spread throughout the island. Flower (1899 a) believed that K. pulchra was introduced from Thailand. By 1904, K. pulchra was already considered prolific in Singapore ( Butler 1904). Lim & Chou (1996) suggested that K. pulchra entered the country as stowaways, and Ng & Yeo (2012) commented that although they are not currently eaten in Singapore, individuals may have been imported as a food source. Regardless of the introduction pathway, K. pulchra is well-established, common and widespread in Singapore, but is not considered invasive (Ng & Yeo 2012). Since it was first reported, K. pulchra has been continuously mentioned in the literature throughout the years, with the longest hiatus between unique observations being 60 years ( Table 2 ), between Butler (1904) and Berry (1964).

Occurrence. Ubiquitous. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Not Applicable.

Conservation priority. None, non-native species.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2022].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore [no locality]: BMNH 1983.976 (no date), BMNH 1896.6.25.88–93 (no date), BMNH 1956.1.10.61–63 (no date), ZRC.1.124 (14-Mar-1904); Ayer Rajah Campus [= NUS Kent Ridge]: ZRC.1.1211–ZRC.1.1212 (24-Mar-1976); Botanic Gardens: BMNH 1974.3233–3235 (no date), ZRC.1.1378 (Feb-1970); Bukit Timah Nature Reserve: ZRC.1.8050 (13-Jun-2001), ZRC.1.10325 (31-Dec-2002); Commonwealth Drive Park : ZRC.1.2773–ZRC.1.2774 (07- Sep-1981); Dover Road: ZRC.1.1379 (07-Dec-1974); East Coast: ZRC.1.3443– ZRC.1.3445 (Nov-1996) ; Hindhede Drive: ZRC. 1.1578 (18-Jan-1989); Jurong Campus [ NTU] : ZRC.1.1213 (07-Apr-1980) , ZRC.1.1214– ZRC.1.1217 (08-Apr-1981); Jurong Road : ZRC.1.3446– ZRC.1.3448 (Sep-1996); Lim Chu Kang Road: ZRC.1.8016 (23-Apr-2001); Lower Peirce Reservoir [ LPF] : ZRC.1.10526 (14-Mar-2003) ; Marina South: ZRC.1.11327 (14-Mar-2004); Pasir Ris Park Mangroves : ZRC.1.7970 (16-Apr-2001) ; Pulau Tekong: ZRC.1.10891 (15-Nov-2001); Science Library [ NUS] : ZRC.1.3523 (19-Mar-1991) ; Seletar Reservoir: BMNH 1983.112 (no date); Sime Road: ZRC.1.9659 (04-May-2002).

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): CAS, FMNH, KU, MCZ, UIMNH, ZFMK ; Botanic Gardens: BPBM, CAS, ZFMK; Eng Neo Avenue Forest: BPBM; Kampong Java Road: BPBM; University of Malaya [= NUS Bukit Timah]: BPBM.

Singapore localities. Admiralty Park—Alexandra Woodlands—Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Clementi Forest— Commonwealth Drive Park—Dairy Farm Nature Park—Dover Road—East Coast (not specified)—Eng Neo Avenue Forest —Hindhede Drive—Jurong Road—Kampong Java Road— Kent Ridge Park—Kranji Marshes—Lim Chu Kang Road— Lower Peirce Forest —Marina South—Nanyang Technological University Jurong Campus—National University of Singapore Bukit Timah Campus—National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus—Night Safari—Pang Sua Woodland—Pasir Panjang Hill—Pasir Ris Park Mangroves—Pulau Semakau—Pulau Tekong—Pulau Ubin—Seletar Reservoir—Sime Road— Singapore Botanic Gardens— Singapore Zoo—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve—West Coast Park.

Figures

FIGURE 5. A) Limnonectes paramacrodon, B) Limnonectes plicatellus, C) Occidozyga sumatrana, D) Eleutherodactylus planirostris, E) Leptobrachium nigrops, F) Megophrys nasuta, G) Kalophrynus limbooliati, and H) Kaloulapulchra. Photographs by: Alex Figueroa [A–H].