Black Copper Rat Snake

description

(Fig. 7 E, 12 B) Material studied: One adult, CIARI uncatalogued, from Sippighat, South Andaman (Fig. 4 B). Morphology: Dorsal scales smooth, in 21: 19: 17 rows; ventrals 230; subcaudals 92, divided; anal single; supralabials 9 (4 – 6 entering orbit); infralabials 10 (1 – 7 contacting genials); preocular 1; postoculars 2; loreal 1; temporals 2 + 2 / 3. Forebody yellowish to grayish brown, posterior half of the body and tail often black. Black eyestreaks prominent; venter pale yellow. Distribution: Five individuals were recorded from South Andaman and Middle Andaman in a variety of habitats ranging from evergreen forests, occasionally in home gardens and amidst human habitation crossing roads. A diurnal species. A roadkill was observed in North Andaman. Remarks: Non-endemic, distributed widely throughout most parts of Southeast Asia (Whitaker and Captain, 2004). Status: Uncommon.

Snake fauna of the Andaman Islands, Bay of Bengal-A review of species richness taxonomy, distribution, natural history and conservation status

discussion

Remarks. Ģnther (1858 b) first reported C. flavolineatus from Singapore from a specimen obtained by Hardwicke. Later, Dennys added a specimen to NHMUK (Boulenger 1894) and to the Raffles Museum (Dennys 1880 a; Blanford 1881), and Flower (1896), Ridley, and Hanitsch each collected additional specimens (Flower 1899). Sworder (1923) referred to C. flavolineatus as quite common and Buddle (1929) recorded 18 specimens at SNB. Harman (1961) next reported C. flavolineatus 32 years later (Table 2), followed by Hall (1988) who had seen it at Pasir Panjang Hill. Cross (2020 n) also recorded a few specimens in 1944 and 1945 that went undocumented until now and that he misidentified as C. radiata (Lim 2020). Despite the numerous records and museum specimens, C. flavolineatus is not commonly sighted nowadays (Baker & Lim 2012). Recent records consist of two seen at NUS, one on 15 November 2007 (N. T. - L. Lim pers. comm.) and the other on 29 July 2008 (Tan 2014 b), at least one from Mandai (R. Subaraj 2015; S. Subaraj 2015), one observed moving in a canal at Ulu Simpang Kiri on 20 April 2016 (Groenewoud 2016), and one seen in a drain at Singapore Zoo on 11 March 2015 (Fung & Low 2018). Occurren

Singapore’s herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution

materials_examined

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): BMNH 1880.9. 10.11 (no date), BMNH 1930.12. 2.1 (no date), BMNH 1956.1. 12.81 (no date), ZRC. 2.2351 – ZRC. 2.2354 (no date), ZRC. 2.2392 – ZRC. 2.2394 (no date), ZRC. 2.4367 (Jul- 1937), ZRC. 2.2350 (20 - Apr- 1939), ZRC. 2.2346 (Jun- 1949); Botanic Gardens: ZRC. 2.2341 (13 - Jul- 1897), ZRC. 2.2347 – ZRC. 2.2348 (Nov- 1912), ZRC. 2.2349 (27 - Oct- 1917), ZRC. 2.2342 (1922), ZRC. 2.2343 (17 - Aug- 1926); Bukit Kalang Forest [SRF]: ZRC. 2.6792 (19 - Nov- 2008); Changi: ZRC. 2.2344 (Feb- 1928); Kent Ridge Campus: ZRC. 2.6740 (15 - Feb- 2007), ZRC. 2.7404 (21 - Dec- 2019); Lorong Gambas: ZRC. 2.6320 (13 - Mar- 1994); Mandai Lake Road: ZRC. 2.2294 (02 - Feb- 1986), ZRC. 2.6067 (22 - May- 2004); Neo Tiew Lane [LCK]: ZRC. 2.6172 (27 - Dec- 2005); Old Upper Thomson Road: ZRC. 2.5533 (10 - Apr- 2002); Pasir Panjang Hill: ZRC. 2.2503 (02 - Apr- 1989); Pulau Tekong: ZRC. 2.6202 (27 - Jun- 2006); Pulau Ubin: ZRC. 2.3375 (Oct- 1992), ZRC. 2.7082 (30 - Dec- 2006), ZRC. 2.6960 (10 - Nov- 2011); Rifle Range Road: ZRC. 2.6831 (07 - Jul- 2009); Siglap: ZRC. 2.2345 (Jun- 1939); Sungei Kadut Drive: ZRC. 2.7074 (02 - Dec- 2001); Upper Peirce R

Singapore’s herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution

materials_examined

Singapore conservation status. Least Concern. Conservation priority. Highest.

Singapore’s herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution