Boiga melanota

Boiga melanota (Boulenger, 1896) — Native. Dipsadomorphus dendrophilus var. B. (var. melanotus, Bleeker) Boulenger, 1896: 71. Holotype: BMNH 1946.1.4.91, by original designation. Type locality: “ Sumatra ”, Indonesia; later restricted to the “East Coast of Sumatra ”, Indonesia by Brongersma (1934: 208). Gold-ringed Cat Snake (Figure 18D) Singapore records. Dipsas dendrophila — Cantor, 1847b: 923.— Cantor, 1847c: 1070, 1077.— Ģnther, 1864: 311.— Dennys, 1880a: 3.— Blanford, 1881: 215.— Davison, 1892: 89, 92. Dipsadomorphus dendrophilus var. melanotus — Boulenger, 1896: 71. Dipsadomorphus dendrophilus — Flower, 1896: 889.— Flower, 1899: 680.—Ridley, 1899: 199, 209 (“Sirangoon [Serangoon] River ”).—Hanitsch, 1908: 44 (Serangoon).—Hanitsch, 1914: 5 (Thomson Road).— de Rooij, 1917: 197. Dipsadomorphus dendrophilus var. B— Hanitsch, 1898: 20.— Hanitsch, 1912b: 16. Boiga dendrophila (non H. Boie in F. Boie, 1827)—Sworder, 1923: 66.—Sworder, 1924a: 20 (Pulau Senang).—Smith, 1930: 65.—Smith, 1943: 529.—Tweedie, 1949: 5.—Sharma, 1973: 235.—L.M. Chou et al., 1980: 71.—K. Lim, 1989b: 19 (Sime Road Forest).—K. Lim, 1989e: 38 (Sime Road Forest).— Gopalakrishnakone, 1990: 3.—K. Lim, 1990a: 8 (“pumping station road which separates Upper Peirce and Lower Peirce Reservoirs” [OUTR]).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 54.— F.L.K. Lim, 1991: 70.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 73, 147.—Wee, 1992: 74 (Lower Peirce Reservoir Park).—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—R. Subaraj, 1994: 12 (MacRitchie Golf Course Trail [MNF]; Upper Peirce West Forest).—J.K.Y. Low et al., 1994: 158.—R. Subaraj et al., 1995: 3 (Lower Peirce [LPF]).—K. Lim et al., 1995: 14 (Old Upper Thomson Road).—K. Lim, 1995: 16 (Hindhede Drive).—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 379 (Lower Peirce East Forest [LPF]; Lower Peirce West Forest [LPF]; MacRitchie North Forest; Taban & Lasia Valleys [BTNR]; Upper Peirce West Forest).— Cox et al., 1998: 75.— Das, 1998: 65.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 30.—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 147.— Anonymous, 2003: 92 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).— de Lang & Vogel, 2005: 97.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 95, 160.—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2008: 264.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2008: 168.—T.M. Leong et al., 2009: 487.— Das, 2010: 261.—M.A.H. Chua, 2011: 281 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).—L.L. Grismer, 2011a: 173.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 272.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 95, 160.— Das, 2012a: 22.—M.F.C. Ng, 2012: 146 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).— Chim, 2014: 112, 113 (Saint John’s Island).—M.A.H. Chua, 2014d: 196 (“forest area west of Mandai Lake Road” [Mandai]).—Wallach et al., 2014: 102.—Weinstein et al., 2014: 214.—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 211.—M.A.H. Chua, 2015b: 187 (Lower Peirce Reservoir).—R. Subaraj, 2015: 55 (Mandai Range Forest).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 5 (Singapore Zoo).—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2016: 181 (Pulau Tekong).— Das, 2018: 29.— Mao et al., 2019: 115.—Sankar & Harrick, 2019: 48.—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 161, 180 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve; Pulau Ubin).—M.L. Kwak & A. Ng, 2022: 929. Boiga (Dipsadomorphus) dendrophilus — Buddle, 1929: 22, 30 (Sembawang Naval Base [= SML]). Boiga dendrophila melanota — de Haas, 1950: 581.—F.L.K. Lim & M.T.-M. Lee, 1989: 116.—E.K. Chua, 1993: 99.— David & Vogel, 1996: 65.— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 321.— Iskandar & Colijn, 2001: 38.— Charlton, 2020: 142. Boiga dendrophilia [sic]—E.K. Chua, 2015: 136. Boiga melanota —K.H. Koh & Chanani-Parikh, 2021: 2. Remarks. In a recent study, Weinell et al. (2020b) showed that subspecies of B. dendrophila are paraphyletic and elevated B. dendrophila melanota to full species. Based on this redesignation, populations from Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia, southern Thailand, Vietnam and Bangka, Belitung, Riau Archipelago, and Sumatra in Indonesia are now recognised as B. melanota (see David & Vogel 1996). Cantor (1847b) first reported B. melanota from Singapore, likely from specimens collected by Hardwicke or Dennys (Boulenger 1896). Ridley (1899) and Sworder (1923) described B. melanota as very common, particularly along mangroves and the Serangoon River.After Buddle (1929) collected two at SNB and Tweedie (1949) received a specimen from Romer, B. melanota was next recorded 40 years later (Table 2) when one was seen at SRF on 30 June 1989 (Lim 1989b). Boiga melanota was reported several times during the 1990s (e.g., Lim 1990a; Subaraj 1994; Lim et al. 1995), and Teo & Rajathurai (1997) recorded 13 individuals during their study; yet, they categorised it as rare, a perception shared by Baker & Lim (2012). However, given these records and personal records, we choose to recognise B. melanota as common. Being a species associated with aquatic habitats, particularly mangroves, B. melanota is known to inhabit several of Singapore’s offshore islands, including Pulau Pawai (ZRC.2.4487), Pulau Senang (Sworder 1924a), PU (Teo & Thomas 2019), PT (Lim et al. 2016), Saint John’s Island (Chim 2014), and Pulau Semakau (Ng 2012). Occurrence. Wide-ranging. Common. Singapore conservation status. Near-Threatened. Conservation priority. Moderate. IUCN conservation status. Not Evaluated. LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): BMNH 1860.3.19.1235 (no date), BMNH 1965 (no date), ZRC.2.4494 (02-Jun-1919), ZRC.2.4491 (Sep-1927), ZRC.2.6363 (1986); Alligator Island [= Pulau Pawai] : ZRC.2.4487 (no date); Bukit Kalang Service Reservoir [SRF] : ZRC.2.6914 (12-May-2010); Central Catchment: ZRC.2.7232 (02-Feb-2007); Changi: ZRC.2.4489 (Feb-1928); Jalan Lada Hitam: ZRC.2.6794 (26-Nov-2008); MacRitchie Forest [LF]: ZRC.2.7231 (01-Nov-2006); Mandai Road Track 7: ZRC.2.7303 (02-Jul-2018); Nee Soon Swamp Forest: ZRC.2.7086 (22-Nov-2014); Old Upper Thomson Road: ZRC.2.5538, ZRC.2.6133 (09-Oct-2002), ZRC.2.6094 (18-Sep-2004), ZRC.2.7064 (07- Apr-2014); Pulau Senang: ZRC.2.4484 (Jun-1951); Pulau Ubin: ZRC.2.4488 (13-Mar-1921); Sime Road Forest: ZRC.2.5626 (15-Jan-2003); St. John’s Island: ZRC.2.7010 (21-May-2013). Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): AMNH, CAS, MCZ, NMW, SMNS, UMMZ, USNM, ZMO. Singapore localities. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Changi—Chestnut Nature Park—Hindhede Drive—Jalan Lada Hitam—Lornie Forest—Lower Peirce Forest—Lower Peirce Reservoir Park—MacRitchie North Forest— Mandai (not specified)—Mandai Range Forest—Mandai Road Track 7—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Old Upper Thomson Road—Pulau Pawai—Pulau Semakau—Pulau Senang—Pulau Tekong—Pulau Ubin— Saint John’s Island—Sembcorp Marine Ltd.*—Serangoon—Sime Road Forest— Singapore Zoo—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve—Sungei Serangoon—Thomson Road—Upper Peirce West Forest. Genus Coelognathus Fitzinger, 1843 (1 species) Calopeltis (Coelognathus) Fitzinger, 1843: 26 (type species: Coluber radiatus H. Boie in F. Boie, 1827, by original designation; gender masculine).
Published as part of Figueroa, Alex, Low, Martyn E. Y. & Lim, Kelvin K. P., 2023, Singapore's herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution, pp. 1-378 in Zootaxa 5287 (1) on pages 157-159, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5287.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7960319
{"references":["Boulenger, G. A. (1896) Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Vol. III. Containing the Colubridae (Opisthoglyphae and Proteroglyphae), Amblycephalidae and Viperidae. British Museum (Natural History), London, xiv + 727 pp., 25 pls.","Brongersma, L. D. (1934) Contributions to Indo-Australian herpetology. Zoologische Mededelingen, 17, 161 - 251.","Cantor, T. E. (1847 b) Catalogue of reptiles inhabiting the Malayan Peninsula and islands, collected or observed by Theodore Cantor, Esq., M. D. Bengal Medical Service. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 16 (Part 2, No. 182), 897 - 952, pl. 40. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 5057","Cantor, T. E. (1847 c) Catalogue of reptiles inhabiting the Malayan Peninsula and islands, collected or observed by Theodore Cantor, Esq., M. D. Bengal Medical Service. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 16 (Part 2, No. 183), 1026 - 1078. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 5057","Gnther, A. C. L. G. (1864) The Reptiles of British India. Trustees [of the British Museum], London, xxvii + 452 pp. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 5012","Dennys, N. B. (1880 a) The snakes of Singapore I. Singapore Daily Times, 20 December 1880, 2 - 3.","Blanford, W. T. (1881) On a collection of reptiles and frogs chiefly from Singapore. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1881 (1), 215 - 226, pls. 20 - 21. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 101596","Davison, W. (1892) The snakes of Singapore. Singapore and Straits Directory, 1892, 87 - 93.","Flower, S. S. (1896) Notes on a collection of reptiles and batrachians made in the Malay Peninsula in 1895 - 96; with a list of the species recorded from that region. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1896 (4), 856 - 914, pls. 44 - 46.","Flower, S. S. (1899 b) Notes on a second collection of reptiles made in the Malay Peninsula and Siam, from November 1896 - September 1898, with a list of the species recorded from those countries. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1899 (4), 600 - 696, pls. 36 - 37.","de Rooij, N. (1917) The Reptiles of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. II. Ophidia. E. J. Brill, Leiden, xiv + 334 pp. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 10610","Hanitsch, R. (1898) Annual report of the curator and librarian on the Raffles Library and Museum, for the Year Ending 31 st December, 1897. In: Straits Settlements, Annual Reports for the Year 1898. Published by Authority, Singapore, pp. 11 - 22.","Hanitsch, R. (1912 b) List of the Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians in the Raffles Museum, Singapore. Raffles Library and Museum, Singapore, 19 pp.","Chou L. M., Ho, S. H., Khoo, H. W., Lam, T. J., Murphy, D. H. & Tan, W. H. (1980) The Present State of Mangrove Ecosystems in Southeast Asia and the Impact of Pollution - Singapore. South China Sea Fisheries Development and Coordinating Programme, Manila. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and United Nations Environment Programme, SCS / 80 / WP / 94 d (Rev.), pp. i - vi + 1 - 76.","Lim, K. (1989 e) Reptiles - Snakes & Lizards. The Pangolin, 2 (3), 38 - 39.","Gopalakrishnakone, P. (1990) A Colour Guide to Dangerous Animals. Singapore University Press, Singapore, 156 pp.","Lim, K. (1990 a) Reptiles. The Pangolin, 3 (1 - 4), 6 - 12.","Lim, K. K. P. & Lim, F. L. K. (1992) A Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre, Singapore, 160 pp.","Chou L. M., Ng, P. K. L. & Lim, K. K. P. (1994) Animalia. In: Wee, Y. C. & Ng, P. K. L. (Eds.), A First Look at Biodiversity in Singapore. National Council on the Environment, Singapore, pp. 70 - 106.","Low, J. K. Y., Arshad, A. & Lim, K. H. (1994) Mangroves as a habitat for endangered species and biodiversity conservation. In: Wilkinson, C., Sudara, S. & Ming, C. L. (Eds.), Proceedings of the Third ASEAN-Australia Symposium on Living Coastal Resources: Status Reviews. Vol. 1. Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, 16 - 20 May 1994. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, pp. 157 - 169.","Cox, M. J., van Dijk, P. P., Nabhitabhata, J. & Thirakhupt, K. (1998) A Photographic Guide toSnakes and other Reptiles of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. New Holland Publishers, London, 144 pp.","Das, I. (1998) A new species of Boiga (Serpentes: Colubridae) from the Nicobar Archipelago. Journal of South Asian Natural History, 3 (1), 59 - 67.","Lim, K. P. & Lim, F. L. K. (2002) A Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Singapore. Revised Edition. Singapore Science Centre, Singapore, 160 pp.","Anonymous (2003) Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve - A Decade of Wetland Conservation. National Parks Board, Singapore, 98 pp.","de Lang, R. & Vogel, G. (2005) The Snakes of Sulawesi: A Field Guide to the Land Snakes of Sulawesi with Identification Keys. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main, 312 pp.","Das, I. (2010) A Field Guide to the Reptiles of Thailand and South-East Asia. New Holland, London, 376 pp.","Chua, M. A. (2011) The herpetofauna and mammals of Semakau Landfill: A Project Semakau checklist. Nature in Singapore, 4, 277 - 287.","Grismer, L. L. (2011 a) Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of the Seribuat Archipelago (Peninsular Malaysia). Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main, 239 pp.","Das, I. (2012 a) A Naturalist's Guide to the Snakes of South-East Asia. John Beaufoy Publishing, Oxford, 160 pp.","Chim C. K. (2014) Snakes of Saint John's Island. Singapore Biodiversity Records, 2014, 112 - 114.","Chua, M. A. H. (2014 d) Gold-ringed cat snake at Mandai. Singapore Biodiversity Records, 2014, 196.","Chua, M. A. H. (2015 b) Gold-ringed cat snake at Lower Peirce forest. Singapore Biodiversity Records, 2015, 187.","Lim, K. K. P., Chua, M. A. H. & Lim, N. T. - L. (2016) Freshwater fishes, terrestrial herpetofauna and mammals of Pulau Tekong, Singapore. Nature in Singapore, 9, 165 - 198.","Das, I. (2018) A Naturalist's Guide to the Snakes of Southeast Asia. 2 nd Edition. John Beaufoy Publishing, Oxford, 176 pp.","Mao, J. J., Norval, G., Robbins, R. G. & Te Wong, S. (2019) An instance of Boiga dendrophila dendrophila (Boie 1827) (Reptilia: Colubridae) being parasitized by Amblyomma helvolum Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae), with comments about the attachment sites of this tick species. Acarologia, 59 (1), 115 - 119. https: // doi. org / 10.24349 / acarologia / 20194316","Buddle, R. (1929) Snakes of Singapore Island. Kelly & Walsh, Limited, Singapore, 48 pp.","de Haas, C. P. J. (1950) Checklist of the snakes of the Indo-Australian Archipelago (Reptiles, Ophidia). Treubia, 20 (3), 511 - 625.","Chua, E. K. (1993) Nature in Singapore, Ours to Protect. The Nature Society, Singapore, 132 pp.","David, P. & Vogel, G. (1996) The Snakes of Sumatra: An Annotated Checklist and Key with Natural History Notes. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt-am-Main, 260 pp.","Manthey, U. & Grossmann, W. (1997) Amphibien und Reptilian Sudostasien. Natur und Tier, M ¸ nster, 512 pp.","Iskandar, D. T. & Colijn, E. (2001) A Checklist of Southeast Asian and New Guinean Reptiles. Part I. Serpentes. Biodiversity Conservation Project (Indonesian Institute of Sciences - Japan International Cooperation Agency - The Ministry of Forestry). The Gibbon Foundation and Institute of Technology, Bandung, 195 pp.","Charlton, T. (2020) A Guide to Snakes of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Natural History Publications (Borneo) Sdn. Bhd., Kota Kinabalu, viii + 299 pp.","Koh, K. H. & Chanani-Parikh, I. (2021) Biodiversity Record: Predation of dog-faced water snake and shore pit-viper by king cobra. Nature in Singapore, 14 (e 2021138), 1 - 3.","Baker, N. & Lim, K. P. (2012) Wild Animals of Singapore: A Photographic Guide to Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians and Freshwater Fishes. Updated Edition. Draco Publishing and Distribution Pte Ltd and Nature Society, Singapore, 180 pp."]}