Limnonectes malesianus ( Kiew, 1984 )

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 : 33-35

Limnonectes malesianus ( Kiew, 1984) — Native.

Rana malesiana Kiew, 1984: 154–160 , figs. 1, 2, pl. 1. Syntypes (7): BMNH 1896.6.25.59–65, by original designation. Type locality: “ Bukit Timah , Singapore ”.

Malesian Frog ( Figure 4H ; Mandai Track 15)

Singapore records.

Rana macrodon (non Duméril & Bibron, 1841) (part)— Blanford, 1881: 216.— Boulenger, 1882b: 24.— Flower, 1896: 898–901.— Hanitsch, 1898: 8.— Flower, 1900: 888.—A.L. Butler, 1904: 196.— Boulenger, 1912: 233–234. Hanitsch, 1912b: 18.— Boulenger, 1920b: 42, 43.—van Kampen, 1923: 174.—Smedley, 1931d: 59–62.— Bourret, 1942: 259.—D.S. Johnson, 1964: 28.— Inger, 1966: 166–168.—Yuen & Fernando, 1967: 91.— Dring, 1979: 203.—K. Lim, 1988b: 6 (Bukit Timah Hill [BTNR]; Sime Road [SRF]).—D.S. Johnson, 1992: 39.—L.M. Chou, 1995: 146.

Rana malesiana Kiew, 1984: 154–160 .—K.K.P. Lim, 1989a: 56 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—K. Lim, 1989g: 41 (Jungle Fall Valley [BTNR]).—K.P. Lim, 1990b: 13 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest; Pasir Laba Military Exercise Area).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 56.—K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1991 d: 4 (Lower Peirce Forest [LP]).—K.K.P. Lim & C.M. Yang, 1991: 222, 225 (Bukit Timah Hill Stream [BTNR]; Economic Gardens [SBG]; Rock Path Stream [BTNR]).—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 34, 144.—P.K.L. Ng & K.K.P. Lim, 1992: 260 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).— Wee, 1992: 73 (Lower Peirce Reservoir [LP]).—E.K. Chua, 1993: 25 (Taban Valley [BTNR]).— L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 93.—R. Subaraj, 1994: 15 (Lornie Track [LF]; MacRitchie North Forest; Nee Soon Swamp Forest; Seletar North Forest [USNF]; Sime Road Forest; Thomson Ridge Trail [TRF]; Ulu Sembawang Forest).—K.K.P. Lim, 1994a: 330.

Rana malesiana (macrodon )—K. Lim, 1988f: 78 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).

Limnonectes (formerly Rana) malesiana —R. Subaraj et al., 1995: 5 (Chestnut Forest [CTF]; Lornie Forest; MacRitchie North [MNF]; Sime Forest [SRF]; Taban Valley [BTNR]; Thomson Ridge [TRF]).

Limnonectes malesiana —K.P. Lim, 1995c: 19 (Chestnut Track [CTF]; Golf Course Link [MNF]; Lower Peirce Forest [LP]; Lower Peirce West [LP]; MacRitchie Forest [MR]; Mandai Forest Track [NSSF]; Nee Soon Swamp Forest; Seletar North Peninsula [USNF]; Ulu Sembawang Forest).— Inger, 1996: 560.—K.K.P. Lim, 1996: 50.—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 397.—Bickford et al., 2010: 121.

Limnonectes malesianus — Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 98.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 16.—T.M. Leong & L.M. Chou, 1999: 100–101.— Iskandar & Colijn, 2000: 74.—T.M. Leong, 2000: 4.—T.M. Leong, 2001a: 103 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 144.— Das & Haas, 2005: 380.— Matsui, 2006: 8.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 57, 158.—D.C.J. Yeo et al., 2010: 156, 157.—L.L. Grismer et al., 2010: 152.— Corlett et al., 2011: 115.—L.L. Grismer, 2011a: 70.—T.M. Leong & Gan, 2011: 22.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 308.—T.M. Leong, 2011: 20, 22.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 53, 58, 158.— Figueroa & McCleary, 2013: 698 (Lower Peirce Trail [LPRP]).— E.K. Chua, 2015c: 127.—M.A.H. Chua, 2015: 56.—R. Subaraj, 2015: 52 (Upper Seletar Peninsula [= USNF]).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 3 (Upper Seletar Peninsula [= USNF]).—S.M. Chong et al., 2018: 253.—I.S. Law, 2018: 100 (Bishan Park).—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 151, 179 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve; Rifle Range Road Pipeline).— Leo et al., 2020: 254.

Remarks. See section above on L. blythii regarding taxonomic confusion between the two species. The type-specimen of L. malesianus was collected from BTNR in 1880 ( Table 1 ; Kiew 1984). Similar to L. blythii , the longest L. malesianus went unreported was 35 years ( Table 2 ) between Smedley (1931d) and Inger (1966). Limnonectes malesianus was not known from outside BTNR until Lim (1988b) reported one from SRF and records were reported from NSSF and Pasir Laba Military Exercise Area ( Lim 1990b). However, specimens deposited at BPBM collected at NSSF by Hendrickson are dated 1955 and 1958.

Occurrence. Wide-ranging. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Near-Threatened.

Conservation priority. Moderate due to narrow preference for swampy habitats.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2022].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH 1880.9.10.34–35 (no date), BMNH 1882.11.29.2–3 (no date), BMNH 1894.7 .9.3 (no date) , BMNH 1896.4.17.4–5 (no date), BMNH 1896.6.25.59–65 (no date) [holotype], BMNH 1899.2 .21.3 (no date) , BMNH 1956.1 .9.58 (no date) , ZRC.1.735 (no date); Bukit Kalang [ SRF] : ZRC.1.3366 (Aug-1996) ; Bukit Timah: ZRC.1.707 (Nov-1933) , ZRC.1.1780 (15-Jun-1969) ; Bukit Timah Nature Reserve : ZRC.1.1638 (Feb-1987) , ZRC.1.1657– ZRC.1.1658 (29-Oct-1974) , ZRC.1.1789 (08-Apr-1990) , ZRC.1.8048– ZRC.1.8049 (08-Jun-2001) , ZRC.1.6217– ZRC.1.6235 (30-Dec-2000) , ZRC.1.1758 (26-Aug-1989) , ZRC.1.1551– ZRC.1.1552 (12- Nov-1988) , ZRC.1.1514 (03-Oct-1987) , ZRC.1.3363, ZRC.1.3365 (Aug-1996) , ZRC.1.3369 (19-Sep-1996) ; Economic Gardens [ SBG] : ZRC.1.715 (03-Oct-1921) ; Lorong Banir [SF] : ZRC.1.3368 (17- Sep-1996) , ZRC.1.3525 (03-Jun-1994) ; Lower Peirce Forest : ZRC.1.12501 (09-Mar-2003) , ZRC.1.3061 (31-Oct-1991) ; Nee Soon Swamp Forest : ZRC.1.3367, ZRC.1.3362 (20-Sep-1996) , ZRC.1.2917 (30-Oct-1990) , ZRC.1.3004 (09-Apr-1991) , ZRC.1.3062 (10-Jan-1992) , ZRC.1.4219 (16-Jan-1996) , ZRC.1.4229 (Apr-1994) , ZRC.1.1574 (Dec-1988) , ZRC.1.1786 (30-Mar-1990) , ZRC.1.8091– ZRC.1.8126 (12-Jun-2001) , ZRC.1.10258 (24-Dec-2002) ; Pasir Laba: ZRC.1.2933– ZRC.1.2934 (26-Dec-1990) ; Rifle Range Road : ZRC.1.3361 (Aug-1996) ; Seletar Range Pipeline [ NSSF] : ZRC.1.3364 (21-Jul-1996) ; Sime Road Forest: ZRC.1.1788 (17-Apr-1990) , ZRC.1.11357 (06-Sep-2004) ; Upper Seletar Swamp Forest [ NSSF] : ZRC.1.5685 (2000); Western Catchment Area : ZRC.1.12496 (13-Nov-2012) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): UMZC; Nee Soon Rifle Range [= NSSF]: BPBM.

Singapore localities. Bishan Park—Bukit Timah (not specified)—Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Chestnut Track Forest—Lornie Forest—Lower Peirce—Lower Peirce Forest—Lower Peirce Reservoir Park—Lower Peirce West Forest—MacRitchie North Forest—Mandai Track 15—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Pasir Laba—Rifle Range Road—Rifle Range Road Pipeline—Sime Road Forest—Singapore Botanic Gardens*—Springleaf Forest—Thomson Ridge Forest—Ulu Sembawang Forest—Upper Seletar North Forest—Upper Seletar Reservoir Park—Western Catchment Area.

Figures

FIGURE 4. A) Ichthyophis paucisulcus, B) Duttaphrynus bengalensis, C) Ingerophrynus quadriporcatus, D) Pelophryne ingeri, E) Fejervarya cancrivora, F) Fejervarya limnocharis, G) Limnonectes blythii, and H) Limnonectes malesianus. Photographs by: Cai Yixiong [A], Alex Figueroa [B, D–H], and Kelvin K.P. Lim [C].