Xenochrophis maculatus (Edeling, 1864)

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 : 180-181

Xenochrophis maculatus (Edeling, 1864) — Native.

Tropidonotus maculatus Edeling, 1864: 203–204 . Type material: None designated; type material apparently lost, according to Iskandar & Colijn (2001: 109). Type locality:“Martapoura, près de Bandjermasin” (= Martapura, near Banjarmasin), South Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Spotted Keelback ( Figure 20F )

Singapore records.

Natrix maculata —Sworder, 1923: 61 (Jurong Road).— de Haas, 1949: 86.— de Haas, 1950: 540.

Macropophis maculatus —K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1988d: 87.—K. Lim, 1989b: 19 (Bukit Timah Hill [BTNR]).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 54.—K.K.P. Lim, 1991a: 4 (Thomson Ridge [TRF]).—W.K. Tan, 1992: 50.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.

Xenochrophis maculatus —K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 147.—K.K.P. Lim, 1993b: 2 (Old Upper Thomson Road).—K.K.P. Lim & Subaraj, 1994: 6 (Old Upper Thomson Road).—K.K.P. Lim, 1994b: 331.—L.M. Chou, 1995: 148.—K. Lim et al., 1995: 14 (Rifle Range Road).—K. Lim, 1995: 16 (Upper Peirce Reservoir Park Road).— David & Vogel, 1996: 131.—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 384 (Lower Peirce East Forest [LPF]; Rifle Range Forest; Taban & Lasia Valleys [BTNR]).— Iskandar & Colijn, 2001: 109.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 147.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 114, 161.—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2008: 265.— Das, 2010: 343.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 390.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 114, 161.— Das, 2012a: 128.— Figueroa & McCleary, 2013: 698–699 (Lower Peirce Trail [LPF]).—M.F.C. Ng, 2014a: 20 (Venus Drive [WNP]).—Wallach et al., 2014: 798.— Groenewoud, 2015c: 90 (Venus Loop [WNP]).—Chua, 2017: 169–170 (“slope before entrance of Treetop Walk” [SRF]).— Das, 2018: 98.—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 165, 181.— Charlton, 2020: 217.

Remarks. After Sworder (1923) first reported X. maculatus from Singapore from an individual he captured on Jurong Road in July 1922, and de Haas (1949) examined a specimen collected in November 1938, X. maculatus was not seen again for 51 years ( Table 2 ) until a roadkill was found at BTNR on 15 April 1989 (Lim 1989b). After this record, several observations of X. maculatus were made, including one eating a Polypedates leucomystax in January 1991 ( Lim 1991a), seven roadkills on OUTR ( Lim 1993b; Lim & Subaraj 1994b), a roadkill on RRR (Lim et al. 1995), and a roadkill on UPRR on 24 June 1995 (Lim 1995). Teo & Rajathurai (1997) reported two individuals from MRP and the roadkills from OUTR. Recently, there have been six records of X. maculatus , one at LPF on 5 January 2013 ( Figueroa & McCleary 2013), one at SRF and three at WNP (Ng 2014a; Groenewoud 2015c; Chua 2017), with the latest being on 6 December 2017, and an unpublished record from BTNR on 12 June 2017 ( Fig. 20F ) (A. Figueroa pers. obs.).

Occurrence. Restricted to CNR and surrounding Nature Parks. Uncommon.

Singapore conservation status. Vulnerable.

Conservation priority. Highest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2012].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : ZRC.2.5010, ZRC.2.5465 (no date), ZRC.2.4261 (Nov-1938); Bukit Timah : ZRC.2.4260 (1949); Bukit Timah Nature Reserve : ZRC.2.4258 (15-Apr-1989) , ZRC.2.3542 (10-Mar-1997); Island Club Road [ SICC] : ZRC.2.6730 (11-Aug-2008); Jurong Road : ZRC.2.4259 (21-Jul-1922); Lower Peirce Forest : ZRC.2.7000 (02-Jan-2013); Nee Soon : ZRC.2.7098 (01-Dec-2014); Old Upper Thomson Road : ZRC.2.6070 (21-Jun-2004) , ZRC.2.7005 (21- Jan-2013); Rifle Range Road : ZRC.2.6690 (28-Apr-2008); Sime Road Forest : ZRC.2.5275 (27-Sep-2001); Thomson Ridge [ TRF] : ZRC.2.5642 (Feb-2003); Upper Peirce : ZRC.2.5893 (Sep-2003); Upper Peirce Reservoir Road : ZRC.2.3407 (20-May-1995) .

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

Singapore localities. Bukit Timah (not specified)—Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Jurong Road*—Lower Peirce Forest—MacRitchie (not specified)—Nee Soon (not specified)—Old Upper Thomson Road—Rifle Range Forest—Rifle Range Road—Sime Road Forest—Singapore Island Country Club—Thomson Ridge Forest—Upper Peirce (not specified)—Upper Peirce Reservoir Road—Windsor Nature Park.

Figures

FIGURE 20. A) Ptyas fusca, B) Ptyas korros, C) Xenelaphis hexagonotus, D) Hebius petersii E) Rhabdophis rhodomelas, F) Xenochrophis maculatus, G) Xenochrophis trianguligerus, and H) Xenochrophis trianguligerus. Photographs by:Alex Figueroa [A, E–F], Emmanuel Goh [B], Nick Baker [C], Kelvin K.P. Lim [D, G], and Evan S.H. Quah [H].