Dogania subplana (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1809)

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 : 83-85

Dogania subplana (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1809) — Native.

Trionyx subplanus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1809b: 11–12 , pl. 5, fig. 2. Holotype: MNHN A.5182, by original designation. Type locality: None stated/traced.

Malayan Forest Softshell Turtle

( Figure 10A )

Singapore records.

Trionyx frenatus — Gray, 1855: 67.

Dogania subplana — Gray, 1863a: 265 (“ Singapore?”).— Gray, 1873: 82.— de Rooij, 1915: 326–327.—K. Lim & F. Lim, 1989: 4 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 56.—Yong, 1990: 27 (Bukit Timah [BTNR]).—K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1991 d: 4 (Rifle Range Road).—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 136, 151.—P.K.L. Ng & K.K.P. Lim, 1992: 260.—E.K. Chua, 1993: 61.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—K.K.P. Lim, 1994b: 227, 331.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 1995: 127.— R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 393 (Nee Soon South [NSSF]; Rifle Range Forest).— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 404.— Cox et al., 1998: 135.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 41.—B.L. Lim & Das, 1999: 46.—van Dijk, 2000: 22.—Iskandar, 2000: 84.—Touch et al., 2000: 57.— Malkmus et al., 2002: 400.— Auliya, 2007: 82–83.—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2008: 176, 266.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 127, 159.—P.K.A. Ng, 2009: 26, 53, 203.— Das, 2010: 176.—T.H. Ng & K.K.P. Lim, 2010: 119.—D.C.J. Yeo et al., 2010: 194.—L.L. Grismer, 2011a: 85.—T.M. Leong & Gan, 2011: 27.— P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 462.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 127, 159.—H.H. Tan, 2014b: 115 (Sime Forest [SRF]).—E.K. Chua, 2015: 140.—M.A.H. Chua, 2016: 154 (Bukit Kalang [SRF]).—W. Wong, 2017: 64.—M.E.Y. Low & Pocklington, 2019: 334.—TTWG, 2021: 328.

Trionyx subplanus — Ģnther, 1864: xii, 49.— Boulenger, 1889a: 246–247.— Flower, 1896: 860.— Flower, 1899: 619.—Ridley, 1899: 205.— Hanitsch, 1910a: 5 (Bukit Timah [BTNR]).— Boulenger, 1912: 9.— Hanitsch, 1912b: 14.

Trionyx sinensis sub -planus —Theobald, 1876: 227.

Lissemys punctata —Iskandar, 2000: 86.

Remarks. Gray (1855) first reported D. subplana from Singapore when he examined a stuffed specimen collected by Wallace and described it as a new species, Trionyx frenatus ( Table 1 ). Yet, a few years later, Gray (1863a) appeared unsure if D. subplana occurred in Singapore, listing the locality as “ Singapore?”. Later again, he listed another specimen from Singapore, one belonging to Hardwicke ( Gray 1873). Hanitsch (1909) mentioned that a young specimen from BTNR was purchased in 1908 by the Raffles Museum and represented the museum’s first preserved specimen of D. subplana , presently catalogued as ZRC.2.3. After this specimen, a published field account of D. subplana did not appear until Lim & Lim (1989) reported finding one in a stream at NSSF on 19 January 1989, marking an 81-year rediscovery ( Table 2 ). Shortly thereafter, a few individuals were photographed on three separate occasions in 1991 in a stream off RRR (Subharaj & Lim 1991b), but then the subsequent report emerged only 23 years later when one was photographed on 4 December 2013 at SRF (Tan 2014b). Only one more record was published after this, and that was of one at Bukit Kalang on 16 October 2016 being attacked by a pair of Channa lucius guarding their brood (Chua 2016). The LKCNHM has four additional catalogued specimens, the earliest being collected in February 1898, and the latest on 10 December 2013. However, Yong (1990) mentions a specimen presently not at LKCNHM, ZRC.2.0005, that was collected at BTNR by Smith in 1909. Baker & Lim (2012) wrote that D. subplana is only found in CCNR, apparently overlooking the two BTNR records.

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

Singapore conservation status. Critically Endangered.

Conservation priority. Highest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2021].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH (no #) (no date), ZRC.2.23 (Feb-1898) , ZRC.2.4 (26-Jun-1909) , ZRC.2.21 (08-Sep-1970) ; Bukit Timah: ZRC.2.3 (1908); Sime Road Forest : ZRC.2.7035 (10-Dec-2013) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): CAS; Mandai Road: CAS.

Singapore localities. Bukit Timah (not specified)—Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Mandai Road—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Rifle Range Road—Sime Road Forest.

Genus Pelochelys Gray, 1864 (1 species)

Pelochelys Gray, 1864: 80 , 89 (type species: Pelochelys cantorii Gray, 1864 , by subsequent designation by Ģnther, 1865: 108; gender masculine).

Figures

FIGURE 10. A) Dogania subplana, B) Pelochelys cantorii, C) Pelochelys cantorii, D) Pelodiscus cf. sinensis, E) Aphaniotis fusca, F) Bronchocela cristatella, G) Calotes versicolor, and H) Draco fimbriatus. Photographs by: Kelvin K.P. Lim [A–B, D–E], Dr. Teo Eng Wah @ Vince Adam [C], Thio Hui Bing [F], Alex Figueroa [G], and Evan S.H. Quah [H].