Notochelys platynota (Gray, 1834)

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 : 80-81

Notochelys platynota (Gray, 1834) — Native.

Emys platynota Gray, 1834a: 54 . Holotype: BMNH 1947.3 .4.6 (possibly the specimen illustrated in Gray [1835: pl. 57], according to Iverson, 2022: 29), by original designation. Type locality: “[h]ab. in Indiâ Orientali” (= East Indies, i.e., Southeast Asia ); later restricted to “ Sumatra ”, Indonesia by Gray (1835: pl. 57).

Malayan Flatshell Terrapin

( Figure 9F )

Singapore records.

Cyclemys platynota — Gray, 1855: 43.— Gray, 1870: 21.— Boulenger, 1889a: 130–131.— Flower, 1896: 858.— Hanitsch, 1898: 8.— Flower, 1899: 612 (Botanic Gardens; “Selitah” [= Seletar].—Ridley, 1899: 186, 2015.—Hanitsch, 1908: 39 (Impounding [MacRitchie] Reservoir [MR]).— Boulenger, 1912: 18–19.— Hanitsch, 1912b: 14.

Geoemyda grandis (non-Gray, 1860)— Hanitsch, 1898: 9.—Ridley, 1899: 205.

Notochelys platynota — Gray, 1863b: 177.— Ģnther, 1864: xi, 17.— Gray, 1873: 20.—Theobald, 1876: 10, 227.— de Rooij, 1915: 304–305.—K. Lim, 1990a: 11 (Pasir Laba Military Exercise Area; Seletar Reservoir).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 56.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 130, 151.— Wee, 1992: 74 (Lower Peirce Reservoir).—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—K.P. Lim, 1994d: 14 (MacRitchie Golf Course [MR]; Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—R. Subaraj et al., 1995: 5 (Macritchie Golf Course [MR]).—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 392 (Lornie Forest; Lower Peirce West Forest [LPF]; Nee Soon East [NSSF]; Nee Soon Range [NSSF]).— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 451.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 40.—B.L. Lim & Das, 1999: 82.—van Dijk, 2000: 21.—Iskandar, 2000: 125.— Auliya, 2007: 62–63.—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2008: 175, 266.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 124, 159.—P.K.A. Ng, 2009: 26, 65.— Das, 2010: 172.—T.H. Ng & K.K.P. Lim, 2010: 119.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 124, 159.—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 41.—TTWG, 2021: 241.

“ Notochelys ” —P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 480.

Remarks. Historically, there appears to be some confusion regarding the occurrence of N. platynota in Singapore as also noticed by Flower (1899b) who noted “its occurrence seems rather strange”.After Wallace collected five specimens (likely from BTNR or DFNP) first reported by Gray (1855) and Boulenger (1889a), no additional specimens were reported until 1897 when one was caught at a lake in SBG and Hanitsch obtained three from Seletar ( Flower 1899b). One of these specimens may be ZMA.RENA.12966 deposited at RMNH by Hanitsch. Hanitsch (1898) listed N. platynota in the Raffles Museum’s catalogue, but did not specify the number of specimens. The Seletar records led Ridley (1899) to believe that N. platynota was common there, and Hanitsch (1908) also appeared to consider N. platynota common as he casually stated that it is found at Seletar, MR, and “elsewhere”. Whether Wallace found N. platynota common remains unknown. Regardless, N. platynota is rare today. Eighty-two years elapsed before N. platynota was rediscovered and reported again ( Table 2 ). Lim (1990a) reported a large adult at SR from 4 May 1990, one from Pasir Laba Military Exercise Area from early 1990, and two hatchlings in a stream from the same area. After this, N. platynota was reported a few more times, but the last published record was from Teo & Rajathurai (1997) who listed six records that included the four sightings from Lim (1994d) and Subaraj et al. (1995). The last reported record is of the individual illustrated in Baker & Lim (2012) which was photographed at NSSF on September 2006 ( Fig. 9F ) (N. Baker pers. comm.).

Occurrence. Restricted to a few locations in CNR and WC. Rare.

Singapore conservation status. Critically Endangered.

Conservation priority. Highest.

IUCN conservation status. Vulnerable [2021].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH 1855.5.3.3–5 (no date), BMNH 1855.5.3.6–7 (no date), ZRC.2.3085 (1990), ZRC.2.171 (no date); Bukit Timah : ZRC.2.110 (1909), ZRC.2.114 (25-Apr-1910); Seletar Reservoir : ZRC.2.2601 (04-May-1990) , ZRC.2.115 (no date).

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): RMNH.

Singapore localities. Bukit Timah (not specified)—Lornie Forest—Lower Peirce Forest—Lower Peirce Reservoir— MacRitchie Reservoir—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Pasir Laba—Seletar Reservoir—Singapore Botanic Gardens*.

Genus Siebenrockiella Lindholm, 1929 (1 species)

Siebenrockiella Lindholm, 1929: 280–281 (type species: Emys crassicollis Gray, 1830 , by original designation; gender feminine; replacement name for Bellia Gray, 1869: 197 [junior homonym of Bellia A. Milne-Edwards, 1848 [ Crustacea], and Bellia Bate, 1851 [ Crustacea]]).

Figures

FIGURE 9. A) Batagur borneoensis, B) Cuora amboinensis, C) Cyclemys dentata, D) Heosemys grandis, E) Heosemys spinosa, F) Notochelys platynota, G) Siebenrockiella crassicollis, and H) Amyda cartilaginea. Photographs by: Marjorie Chong [A], Law Ing Sind [B], Nick Baker [C, F], Joys Tan [D], Kelvin K.P. Lim [E], Marcus A.H. Chua [G], and Alex Figueroa [H].