Tropidolaemus subannulatus ( Gray, 1842 )

Vogel, Gernot, David, Patrick, Lutz, Mario, Rooijen, Johan Van & Vidal, Nicolas, 2007, Revision of the Tropidolaemus wagleri-complex (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalinae). I. Definition of included taxa and redescription of Tropidolaemus wagleri (Boie, 1827), Zootaxa 1644 (1), pp. 1-40 : 23-30

Tropidolaemus subannulatus ( Gray, 1842)

( Figs. 12–25 )

Diagnosis. — A species of the genus Tropidolaemus , characterized by (1) the internasals separated by 2 (rarely 1) scales, never in contact; (2) a background colour in the shades of green, namely green, blue or green and blue ground in females, green (blue in some Negros populations) in males and juveniles; (3) crossbands around the body blue and white, red and white, blue, blue and red or white in adult females, white parts can be light blue in life, white spots or white and red spots in males and juveniles; (4) a variable postocular stripe in adult females and a white and red one in juveniles and males; (5) in adult females the belly is uniform or blotched with blue or red, never banded, in males and juveniles the belly is uniform or with red dots; (6) 128– 148 VEN in males and 127–147 in females, SC: 45–53 in males and 40–54 in females; (7) 21–23 MSR in males and 21–29 in females, keeling variable in both sexes; (9) 4–7 scales on the snout at males and 5 – 8 in females; (10) 3 rd SL nearly always (87 / 90 occurrences) separated from the subocular by 1 scale or 2 scales, without sexual dimorphism; (10) tail long in males, with a ratio TaL/TL between 0.146 and 0.182, moderate to long in females, 0.139 –0.183; (11) occipital scales distinctly keeled in males.

Description and variation. —The maximal TL among our sample is 963 mm (SVL 820 mm, TaL 143 mm) for a female from “Siau, Sangi Islands”, now Sangihe Islands (BMNH not registered). Our largest male is 463 mm long (SVL 384 mm, TaL 79 mm; FMNH 222869 from Borneo).

We refrain from giving a more detailed description here, as the variation among this species or complex of species will be discussed in the next and forthcoming paper of the series. A splitting into several taxa seems to be likely.

Range. — Brunei. See Das (2007). – Federation of Malaysia. States of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo ( Stuebing & Inger, 1999; Malkmus et al., 2002). – Indonesia. Known from the islands of Belitung, Borneo (Kalimantan), Buton, Kalimantan, Sangihe Archipelago, and Sulawesi. – Philippines. Recorded from the islands of Balabac, Basilan, Bohol, Dinagat, Jolo, Leyte, Luzon, Mindanao, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Samar, Sibutu, and Tumindao ( Alcala, 1986).

FIGURE 22.

Tropidolaemus subannu-

latus. Living adult

female from Negros

Island, Philippines.

Photograph by Mario

Lutz.

FIGURE 23.

Tropidolaemus

subannulatus. Living

adult female from

Palawan Island,

Philippines. Photograph

by Mario Lutz.

Material (64 specimens).— Belitung Island. ZMA 17709, “Billiton”. — Borneo. Federation of Malaysia . FMNH 128265 , FMNH 129467 , Pengkalang Lobang, Fourth Division, State of Sarawak . - FMNH 128433 , Tangap, Fourth Division, State of Sarawak ; FMNH 131848 , FMNH 131860 , FMNH 131865 , Niah, Fourth Division, State of Sarawak ; FMNH 131852 , Lower Niah, Fourth Division, State of Sarawak ; FMNH 131857 , Sungei Subis, Fourth Division, State of Sarawak ; FMNH 131861 , Niah, Sakaloh, Fourth Division, State of Sarawak ; FMNH 131862 , Niah, Pengkalan Lobang, Fourth Division, State of Sarawak ; FMNH 138663-64 , Sungei Mengiong, Nanga Tekalit Camp, Third Division, Kapit District, State of Sarawak ; FMNH 148833 , Labang Camp on Sungei Seran, Bintulu District, Fourth Division , State of Sarawak ; FMNH 222869 , Nanga Tekalit, Kapit District, Seventh Division, State of Sarawak . - MNHN 1880.0432 , MNHN 1991.3167 - 68 , Sandakan, State of Sabah ; MNHN 1906.0014 , No Sang, State of Sabah . - ZMH R 07438, “Mandalan River, Borneo”, now Sungei Medalam, Limbang (Fifth) Division (04°12'N, 114°57'E), State of Sarawak. - Indonesia . MNHN 1891.0082 , “Sebroeang”, now Nangah Sebroeang, near Semitau, Province of Kalimantan Barat ; MNHN 2006.0419 , Pontianak, Province of Kalimantan Barat. - No locality . MNHN 1880.0435 , MNHN 1957.0817 , “ Borneo ” ; MNHN 1998.0488 , MNHN 2002.0447 - 49 , MNHN 2006.0420 , “Borneo” (from the pet trade). — Sulawesi : BMNH 1980.1718 , Ranu River, Morowali Nature Reserve ; BMNH 1980.0936 , Torro, Kulawi, Kabupaten Donggala, Central Sulawesi ; BMNH 49.3 .2.38, “ Celebes ” ; BMNH 96.12 .9.79, “Bone Valley, N. Celebes ”, now in Province of North Sulawesi . - MNHN 1999.9032 , MNHN 2002.0408 , “Sulawesi” (from the pet trade) ; MNHN 2002.0446 , an island off South Sulawesi (from the pet trade) . - ZMA 17711, “Posso”, now Poso, Province of Central Sulawesi. — Philippines. Luzon Is. 95.1.11.10- 12, “ Albay, S. E. Luzon ”, now Albay Province , Luzon Is.; MNHN 1880.0232 , “ Province Albay ( Luzon Philippines ) , now Albay Province, Luzon Is.; MNHN 1876.0032 , “Dans la Laguna (Luzon)”. - Mindanao Is . BMNH 77.10.9.71-72, “ Butuan, N. Mindanao ”, now Butuan City , Province of Agusan del Norte ; CAS 8679 , “San Ramon, Zamboanga Prov. ”, now in Province of Zamboanga del Sur ; FMNH 15046 , “ Agusan River, Mindanao Is” ; FMNH 22580 , Bunawan, Agusan del Sur Province ; FMNH 53564-67 , Tagum, Madaum , Davao Province , near sea level. - Negros Is. CAS-SUR 18792-93, Mabaja River area just West of Mayaposi Hill (Alt: 1800'), Negros Oriental Province. - Palawan Is. BMNH 79.11 .16.12 , CAS 15816, Puerta Princesa ; BMNH 94.6.30.64-65, “ Palawan ” ; CAS 28531, about 1 1/ 2 km. W.S.W. of Iwahig, Site 488 (300 ft), Palawan Prov. - Sulu Archipelago. MNHN 1880.0383 , “Archipel de Sulu entre Bornéo et Mindanao ”. - No locality . BMNH 1946.1.19.32-33, MNHN 1884.0046 , MNHN 1884.0181 - 0182 “Philippines”. — Unknown origin . MNHN 1878.0365 - 66 , both labelled as from “ Mansinam, Nouvelle Guinée ” .

Figures

FIGURE 12. Syntypes of Tropidolaemus subannulatus (BMNH 1946.1.19.33). Philippines. General view. Photograph by Gernot Vogel.

FIGURE 13. Syntypes of Tropidolaemus subannulatus (BMNH 1946.1.19.33). Philippines. General ventral view. Photograph by Gernot Vogel.

FIGURE 14. Syntype of Tropidolaemus subannulatus (BMNH 1946.1.19.32). Philippines. Dorsal view of the head. Photograph by Gernot Vogel.

FIGURE 15. Syntype of Tropidolaemus subannulatus (BMNH 1946.1.19.32). Philippines. Ventral view of the head. Photograph by Gernot Vogel.

FIGURE 16. Syntype of Tropidolaemus subannulatus (BMNH 1946.1.19.32). Philippines. Lateral view of the head, right side. Photograph by Gernot Vogel.

FIGURE 17. Tropidolaemus subannulatus. Living adult female from Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photograph by Henrik Hellemar.

FIGURE 18. Tropidolaemus subannulatus. Living male, Lambusango Forest reserve, Pulau Buton, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photograph by Björn Lardner.

FIGURE 19. Tropidolaemus subannulatus. Living adult female Temburong District, Borneo, Brunei Darussalam, 100m. Photograph by Maximilian Dehling

FIGURE 20. Tropidolaemus subannulatus. Living adult female from Sarawak, Borneo. Photograph by Johan van Rooijen.

FIGURE 21. Tropidolaemus subannulatus. Living adult male, Bako NP, Sarawak, Ost Malaysia. Photograph by Pauli Hien.

FIGURE 24. Tropidolaemus subannulatus. Living adult male from Negros Island, Philippines. Photograph by Mario Lutz.

FIGURE 25. Holotype of Tropidolaemus philippensis (BMNH 1946.1.17.7). Adult male from Philippines. General view. Photograph by Gernot Vogel.