Calamaria lovii Boulenger, 1887

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 : 149-150

Calamaria lovii Boulenger, 1887 — Native.

Calamaria lovii Boulenger, 1887: 169 . Holotype: BMNH 1946.1 .3.63 (formerly BM 1887.2.7.18), by original designation. Type locality: “Rejang River, Sarawak”, East Malaysia.

Low’s Reed Snake

( Figure 17E )

Singapore records.

Calamaria lowi gimletti —Leong, 2004: 290 (Pulau Pawai).—Quah et al., 2018a: 491.

Calamaria gimletti —N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 169.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 169.—Wallach et al., 2014: 137.—Serin et al., 2017: 89–90 (Rifle Range Link [ RRF]).—I.S. Law & Kanaike, 2018: 142–143 (Old Upper Thomson Road).— Choo, 2019: 75–75 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).

Calamaria lovii — Charlton, 2020: 74.

Calamaria lovii gimletti —R. Tan & W.W.S. Lee, 2021: 1 (Upper Seletar).

Remarks. Calamaria lovii was first collected in Singapore by Tweedie at Pulau Pawai in 1933, but this material went unreported for 73 years until Leong (2004) published the record. Then, 84 years after this first and only record ( Table 2 ), an individual was found under a pile of leaves in a concrete drain at Rifle Range Link on 27 February 2017, which not only represents the rediscovery of C. lovii in Singapore but also constitutes the first record for Singapore Island (Serin et al. 2017). Shortly after this rediscovery, another individual was also found in leaf litter in a roadside drain along OUTR on 5 September 2018 ( Fig. 17E ) ( Law & Kanaike 2018). Since then, C. lovii has been found crawling on the ground at BTNR on 23 May 2019 ( Choo 2019) and at US on 8 May 2021 (Tan & Lee 2021). It is unknown if the Pulau Pawai population is still extant as access to the island has been restricted since at least 1989. At present, C. lovii appears restricted to CNR.

Occurrence. Known from one record on Pulau Pawai in 1933 and four recent observations in CNR. Rare.

Singapore conservation status. Endangered.

Conservation priority. Highest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2012].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Old Upper Thomson Road : ZRC.2.7402 (27-Jan-2019) ; Pulau Pawai: ZRC.2.5896 (Nov-1933) ; Rifle Range Forest : ZRC.2.7241 (10-Mar-2017) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. No specimens.

Singapore localities. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Old Upper Thomson Road—Pulau Pawai—Rifle Range Forest—Upper Seletar Reservoir Park.

Figures

FIGURE 17. A) Dendrelaphis kopsteini, B) Dendrelaphis pictus, C) Dryophiops rubescens, D) Calamaria albiventer, E) Calamaria lovii, F) Calamaria lumbricoidea, G) Calamaria schlegeli, and H) Pseudorabdion longiceps. Photographs by: Law Ing Sind [A, E], Alex Figueroa [B, G], Emmanuel Goh [C], Evan S.H. Quah [D], and Kelvin K.P. Lim [F, H].