Draco sumatranus Schlegel, 1844

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 : 94-96

Draco sumatranus Schlegel, 1844 — Native.

Draco viridis var. sumatrana Schlegel, 1839: 91 . Lectotype: RMNH. RENA 2933 F, designated by Musters (1983: 88); RMNH.RENA.2933 A–E, G designated as paralectotypes by Musters (1983: 88); note Musters (1983: 90) mistakenly refers to the specimens as “ RMNH 2934 ”. Type locality: “ Sumatra ”, Indonesia.

Sumatran Flying Dragon

( Figure 11C ; Holland Village)

Singapore records.

Draco volans (non Linnaeus, 1758)— Ģnther, 1864: xv, 124.—Steindachner, 1867: 32.—Theobald, 1868: 33.—Theobald, 1876: 228.— Dennys, 1882.— Boulenger, 1885: 256.— Flower, 1896: 868.— Hanitsch, 1898: 19.— Flower, 1899: 636.—Ridley, 1899: 191, 206 ( Singapore Botanic Gardens).— Boulenger, 1912: 57.— Hanitsch, 1912b: 15.— de Rooij, 1915: 70.—Sworder, 1924a: 20 (Pulau Ayer Merbau).—Sworder, 1925a: 65.—D.S. Johnson, 1964: 26.—Phang et al., 1983: 23 ( Singapore Botanic Gardens).—F.L.K. Lim, 1984: 18.— Choo-Toh et al., 1985: 126 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).—K. Lim & F. Lim, 1988a: 28 (Kampong Bahru [Pulau Ubin]).—Hall, 1989d: 33 (Pasir Panjang Hill).—K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1991 d: 4 (King’s Avenue).—D.S. Johnson, 1992: 35.—E.K. Chua, 1993: 41.—L.M. Chou, 1995: 147.—R. Subaraj, 1995: 36 (Pulau Ubin).—K.K.P. Lim, 1996: 50.— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 174.— Cox et al., 1998: 101.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 22.—E.K. Chua, 2000: 107.—E.K. Chua, 2002: 39, 107.— Anonymous, 2003: 32, 93.— Cross, 2020a: 5 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020c: 1 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020e: 2.— Cross, 2020g: 1, 2, 3 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020h: 2, 3 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020i: 3 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020j: 1 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020l: 1 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020m: 3, 6 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020n: 5, 7 (Changi; Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).

Draco maculatus (non Gray, 1845)— Anonymous, 1913: 651.—Stone, 1913: 640.

Draco volans volans (non Linnaeus, 1758)— Grandison, 1972: 79.

Draco volans sumatranus —K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 55.— Denzer & Manthey, 1991: 3112.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 111–112, 150.—Wee, 1992: 74 (Lower Peirce Reservoir Park).—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—B.P.L. Goh et al., 2002: 58.

Draco volans sumatrana —R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 388.

Draco sumatranus —K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 150.—T.M. Leong, 2005: 41 (MacRitchie Tree Top Trail [SRF]).—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 77, 159.— Manthey, 2008: 154, 155.—E.K. Chua, 2010: 100 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).— Das, 2010: 185.—L.L. Grismer, 2011a: 102.—L.L. Grismer, 2011b: 208, 212.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 316.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 77, 159.— Ang et al., 2012: 51 (Hort Park).—L.K. Wang et al., 2012: 83.—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 80.—E.K. Chua, 2015: 49.—R. Subaraj, 2015: 13, 25, 32, 38 (Mandai Range Forest; Night Safari; Singapore Zoo; Stephen Lee Woods [= RPN]).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 4, 5, 6, 7 (Mandai Range Forest; Night Safari; Singapore Zoo; Stephen Lee Woods [= RPN]).—E.K. Chua et al., 2016: 110.—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2016: 179 (Pulau Tekong).—Vogrinc et al., 2016: 472 (Pulau Ubin).—W. Wong, 2017: 51.—Yong, 2017: 102 (Pulau Ubin).—H.C. Ho et al., 2019: 125 (Alexandra Woodlands).—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2019: 132 (Kent Ridge Park; National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus).—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 155, 180 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve; Dairy Farm Nature Park).— Dhanushri, 2020: 118 (Fajar Road).—K.K.P. Lim, 2020: 5 (Changi; Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).—E.K. Chua, 2022: 88 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).— Janssen & Sy, 2022: 27, 149.

Remarks. Widely referred to as D. volans in the literature until it was elevated to full species status in 2001 by McGuire & Kiew (2001), D. sumatranus was first reported from Singapore by Ģnther (1864) from a specimen in Hardwicke’s collection at NHMUK ( Boulenger 1885). Historically, D. sumatranus was considered quite common ( Flower 1896; Sworder 1925), and continues to be extremely common today, being found in all habitat types, even urban areas ( Baker & Lim 2012). Examples include one photographed at Holland Village on 15 May 2005 ( Fig. 11C ) (K.K.P. Lim unpub. data) and one that landed on someone at Fajar Road while gliding on 1 July 2020 ( Dhanushri 2020). Similar to other species, D. sumatranus went unreported after Sworder (1925) for 39 years until Johnson (1964) discussed its behaviour and how common it was ( Table 2 ). Several records from 1944 and 1945 ( Cross 2020n) were just recently published ( Lim 2020). Perhaps a result of it being so common and widespread, D. sumatranus has not been reported from numerous areas where it occurs.

Occurrence. Ubiquitous. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Least Concern.

Conservation priority. Lowest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2019].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH XXIV.3.e (no date), ZRC.2.696– ZRC.2.698 (no date); ZRC.2.694 (16-May-1900) , ZRC.2.695 (Aug-1915) ; Botanic Gardens: ZRC.2.693 (4-21-1897) , ZRC.2.6253 (10-2004); Fort Canning : ZRC.2.701 (Jan-1920) , ZRC.2.702 (no date); Jurong : ZRC.2.1954– ZRC.2.1959 (09-Apr-1980) ; Kent Ridge [ NUS] : ZRC.2.4730 (Jul-1993) ; ZRC.2.6291 (16- May-2006) , ZRC.2.6394 (25-Feb-2007) [Science Dr 2], Pulau Ayer Merbau : ZRC.2.703 (19-Apr-1928) , ZRC.2.704 (no date); RAF Tengah [= Tengah Air Base] : BMNH 1983.953 – 954 (no date); Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve : ZRC.2.5669 (02-Apr-2003) , ZRC.2.7295 (02-Apr-2017) ; Tanglin [= TF] : BMNH 1974.2407 – 2410 (no date); Thomson Road : ZRC.2.699– ZRC.2.700 (14-Jan-1920) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): CAS, FMNH, MVZ, NMI, NMW, RMNH, SMNS, USNM, ZMB, ZMUC; Botanic Gardens: MVZ; Eng Neo Avenue Forest: UBCBBM; Orchard Road: UF.

Singapore localities. Alexandra Woodlands—Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Changi—Dairy Farm Nature Park— Eng Neo Avenue Forest—Fajar Road—Fort Canning—Holland Village—Hort Park—Jurong—Kent Ridge Park—King’s Avenue—Lower Peirce Reservoir Park—Mandai Range Forest—National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus—Night Safari—Orchard Road—Pasir Panjang Hill—Pulau Ayer Merbau—Pulau Tekong—Pulau Ubin—Rainforest Park North—Sime Road Forest—Singapore Botanic Gardens—Singapore Island Country Club—Singapore Zoo—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve—Tengah Air Base—Thomson Road.

Family Dactyloidae Fitzinger, 1843 (1 species)

Dactyloae Fitzinger, 1843: 16, 63 (type genus Dactyloa Wagler, 1830 ).

Genus Anolis Daudin, 1802 (1 species)

Anolis Daudin, 1802: 50 (type species: Anolis carolinensis Voigt, 1832: 71 by action of the ICZN (1986) (Opinion 1385; gender masculine).

Figures

FIGURE 11. A) Draco melanopogon, B) Draco quinquefasciatus, C) Draco sumatranus, D) Anolis sagrei, E) Aeluroscalabotes felinus, F) Aeluroscalabotes felinus, G) Cnemaspis peninsularis, and H) Cyrtodactylus consobrinus. Photographs by: Jensen G.H. Seah [A–B], Kelvin K.P. Lim [C, E], Thio Hui Bing [D], Mary-Ruth Low [F], and Alex Figueroa [G–H].