Aphaniotis fusca Peters, 1864

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 : 87-88

Aphaniotis fusca Peters, 1864 — Native.

Otocryptis (Aphaniotis) fusca W.C.H. Peters, 1864a: 385 . Holotype: ZMB 5032 , by original designation. Type locality: “in der Nähe von Malacca (Forest Hill)”, Peninsular Malaysia.

Dusky Earless Agama

( Figure 10E ; Rifle Range Forest)

Singapore records.

Aphaniotis floweri F. Werner, 1900: 486 .

Aphaniotis fusca —Sworder, 1924: 20 (Pulau Ubin).—Sworder, 1929: 330 (Pulau Ubin).—K. Lim, 1989h: 64 (Jungle Fall Valley [ BTNR]).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 55.— Denzer & Manthey, 1991: 310.—K.K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1991: 5 (South View Path [ BTNR]).—Subharaj & K.K.P. Lim, 1991b: 4 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 109, 150.—K.K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1992: 8 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—E.K. Chua, 1993: 29.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—R. Subaraj, 1994: 14 (MacRitchie North Forest; Sime Road [ SRF]).—K.K.P. Lim, 1994b: 221, 331.—R. Subaraj et al., 1995: 4 (MacRitchie North [ MNF]).—P.K.L. Ng et al., 1995: 123.—R. Subaraj, 1996: 101.—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 388 (Jungle Fall & Seraya Valleys [ BTNR]; MacRitchie North Forest; Main Road [ BTNR]; Nee Soon Range [ NSSF]; Taban & Lasia Valleys [ BTNR]; Three-Stone Hill [ NSSF]).—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 150.—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2008: 169, 265.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 74, 159.— Manthey, 2008: 42.— Das, 2010: 179.— Corlett, 2011a: 51.—L.L. Grismer, 2011: 129, 132.—T.M. Leong & Gan, 2011: 29.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 220.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 74, 159.—H.H. Tan & K.K.P. Lim, 2012: 362.—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 101.—E.K. Chua, 2015: 69.—Shahriza, 2018: 153.—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 155, 179 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).— Leo et al., 2020: 254.— Janssen & Sy, 2022: 17, 148.

Gonyocephalus borneensis (non Schlegel, 1851)—Sworder, 1925a: 66.—L.M. Chou, 1995: 147.

Gonocephalus borneensis (non Schlegel, 1851)— Smith, 1930: 24.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 150.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.

Goniocephalus sp. —D.H. Murphy, 1973: 59.

Gonocephalus? borneensis (non Schlegel, 1851)— Denzer & Manthey, 1991: 312.

Aphaniotus [sic] fusca — Cox et al., 1998: 99.

Aphaniotus [sic] fuscum —Chan-ard et al., 1999: 21.

Remarks. Werner (1900) received a specimen of A. fusca from B̂ttcher who collected it in Singapore, and described it as a new species, A. floweri , making Singapore the type locality ( Table 1 ). A year later, this specimen was acquired by MNHN and was registered as “cotype” of A. floweri under MNHN-RA-1901.1 ( Brygoo 1988). Around 1910, NMW acquired specimen NMW-39321 donated by Steindachner, which was not reported in the literature. The next record of A. fusca from Singapore comes from a specimen Sworder (1924) recorded on Pulau Ubin. Following this record, 49 years pass by before another observation of A. fusca was published ( Table 2 ), when Murphy (1973) confused A. fusca with Goniocephalus while discussing insectivores of BTNR. Sworder (1925) also confused A. fusca with Gonyocephalus borneensis (= Gonocephalus bellii ), when he included ZRC 2.887 (collected by Saunders in 1922) in his checklist of Singapore’s lizards. After Lim (1989h) published an observation of one sleeping at night on 29 November 1989 at BTNR, then reportings of A. fusca became a bit more frequent up until Teo & Rajathurai (1997). Afterwards, A. fusca has only been reported one more time when Teo & Thomas (2019) record two from BTNR.

Occurrence. Restricted to CNR. Uncommon.

Singapore conservation status. Endangered.

Conservation priority. Highest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2021].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : ZRC.2.887 (08-Nov-1922); Bukit Timah Nature Reserve : BMNH 1974.2434 (no date) , ZRC.2.3200 (1967), ZRC.2.2336 (1980), ZRC.2.2337 (11- Jun-1980), ZRC.2.2522 (29-Nov-1989) ; Pulau Ubin: ZRC.2.330 (Aug-1921) ; Seletar Reservoir Park [ USRP]: ZRC.2.3287 (02-Nov-1991) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): MNHN-RA-1901.1 [holotype of Aphaniotis floweri ] .

Singapore localities. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—MacRitchie North Forest—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Pulau Ubin*—Rifle Range Forest—Sime Road Forest—Upper Seletar Reservoir Park.

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].