A FIELD GUIDE TO THE REPTILES OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA A FIELD GUIDE TO THE REPTILES OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA INDRANEIL DAS MYANMAR, THAILAND, LAOS, CAMBODIA, VIETNAM, PENINSULAR MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE, SUMATRA, BORNEO, JAVA, BALI Illustrated by Robin Budden, Sandra Doyle, Rachel Ivanyi, Szabolcs Kokay, Jonathan Latimer, Denys Ovenden, Lyn Wells First published in 2010 by New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd This impression published in 2010 by New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd CONTENTS London, Cape Town, Sydney, Auckland www.newholland publishers.com Garfield House, 86–88 Edgware Road, London W2 2EA, United Kingdom Acknowledgements 6 Anguidae Glass Lizards 195 80 McKenzie Street, Cape Town 8001, South Africa Unit 1, 66 Gibbes Street, Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia 2067 Abbreviations, Conventions Dibamidae Worm Lizards 196 218 Lake Road, Northcote, Auckland, New Zealand and Symbols 6 Eublepharidae Eyelid Geckos 198 Introduction 7 Gekkonidae Geckos 199 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Defining Reptiles 7 Lacertidae ‘Typical’ Lizards 225 Copyright © 2010 New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd Morphological Specializations 7 Lanthanotidae Earless Monitor 226 Copyright © 2010 in text Indraneil Das Identification of Reptiles 8 Leiolepidae Butterfly Lizards 226 Plate illustrations by: Reptile Ecology 11 Scincidae Skinks 228 Robin Budden 1–5, 10–14, 38–40 Region Covered 13 Shinisauridae Crocodile Lizards 254 Sandra Doyle 49–58 Rachel Ivanyi 28–37 The Environment 15 Varanidae Monitor Lizards 255 Szabolcs Kokay 41–48, 72–74 Reptile Conservation 15 Jonathan Latimer 59–70 Book Organization 15 SNAKES 256 Denys Ovenden 6–9, 71 Lyn Wells 15–27 Management of Snakebite 16 Acrochordidae Wart Snakes 256 Copyright © 2010 in plates and drawings New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd Anomochilidae Giant Blind Snakes 257 PLATES 18 Pythonidae Pythons 257 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, Colubridae ‘Typical’ Snakes 259 recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and SPECIES ACCOUNTS 166 Viperidae Vipers & Pit Vipers 302 copyright holders. Cylindrophiidae Pipe Snakes 312 ISBN 978 1 84773 347 4 CROCODILES 166 Elapidae Cobras, Kraits, Coral Snakes Crocodylidae Crocodiles 166 & Sea Snakes 313 Senior Editor: Krystyna Mayer Design: Alan Marshall Gavialiidae Gharials 167 Homalopsidae Puff-faced Water Cartography/Diagrams pages 8, 9 (top): Stephen Dew Snakes 324 Indexer: David McAllister TURTLES 167 Natricidae Water Snakes 330 Production: Melanie Dowland Publisher: Simon Papps Geoemydidae Asian Hardshelled Pareatidae Slug-eating Snakes 344 Editorial Direction: Rosemary Wilkinson Turtles 167 Pseudoxenodontidae False Cobras 346 Cheloniidae Sea Turtles 173 Typhlopidae Blind Snakes 348 Reproduction by Modern Age Repro Co. Ltd, Hong Kong Printed and bound in Singapore by Tien Wah Press (Pte) Ltd Dermochelyidae Leatherback Sea Xenodermatidae Strange-skinned Turtles 174 Snakes 351 Emydidae New World Xenopeltidae Sunbeam Snakes 352 Hardshelled Turtles 174 Xenophidiidae Spine-jawed Snakes 353 Platysternidae Asian Big-headed Turtles 174 Glossary of Technical Terms 354 Testudinidae Tortoises 175 Selected Bibliography 356 Trionychidae Softshell Turtles 176 Internet Resources 367 Index 369 LIZARDS 178 Agamidae Agamid Lizards 178 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INTRODUCTION This work is dedicated to the memory of six early Matsui, the late Sherman Minton, Akira Mori, G. This book provides a convenient means for both non- MORPHOLOGICAL SPECIALIZATIONS explorers and scholars of South-East Asian Mumpuni, John Murphy, Jonathan Murray, the late specialists and professional herpetologists working in herpetology: Heinrich Boie (1794–1827), Heinrich Jarujin Nabhitabhata, Ngo Van Tri, the late Wirot the field to identify all valid species of reptile currently While the monophyly (descent from a common Kuhl (1797–1821), Henri Mouhot (1826–1861), Nutphand, Peter Kee Lin Ng, Samhan bin Nyawa, known in South-East Asia. In this work, South-East ancestor) of the group, as traditionally defined, is itself Malcolm Arthur Smith (1875–1958), William Cord Offermann, Nikolai Orlov, Mark O’Shea, Asia refers to all political entities on the Asian in question, the use of the word ‘reptiles’ in this work Theobald (1829–1908) and Frank Wall (1868–1950). Hidetoshi Ota, Steve Platt, Peter Praschag, Peter C. H. mainland east of India and south of China, and refers to crocodiles, turtles, snakes and lizards, which I owe a debt to my editor, Krystyna Mayer, for Pritchard, Ding Qi Rao, Arne Rasmussen, Jens bordered by the Sahul Plate to the south (see page 13 do share a number of morphological features. These putting this project together, for her editorial acumen Rasmussen, Anders Rhodin, Herbert Rösler, José for further details). include: a. a tabular (bone on the posterolateral corner and patience. Rosado, Charles A. Ross, John Rudge, Klaus-Dieter Given the intense sampling now taking place in of the skull table) that is small when present; b. a I am deeply grateful to illustrators Robin Budden, Schulz, Saibal Sengupta, Rick Shine, Gerold Schipper, many countries in the region, and from habitats that suborbital foramen (hole under the eyeball); c. a Sandra Doyle, Rachel Ivanyi, Szabolcs Kokay, Irwan Sidik, the late Joseph Slowinski, Hobart Smith, were until recently inaccessible, new species supraoccipital anterior crista (prominent ridge above Jonathan Latimer, Denys Ovenden and Lyn Wells, Bryan Stuart, Robert Stuebing, Jeet Sukumaran, Tan discoveries, as well as rediscoveries of species hitherto the orbit) and d. a narrow supraoccipital plate (median whose artistic skills are evident from the finished Heok Hui, Tog Tan, Kumthorn Thirakhupt, Frank known only from textual descriptions, are now bone at the back of the skull, which borders the product. Many of the illustrations were prepared from Tillack, Michihisa Toriba, Truong Nguyen, the late routine. New methods for differentiating cryptic foramen magnum). rather limited sources of information, such as text Garth Underwood, Jens Vindum, Peter Paul van Dijk, species, especially molecular techniques, have also descriptions, photographs and museum specimens. Johan van Rooijen, Miguel Vences, Gernot Vogel, added significantly to the arsenal for species CROCODILES Others in New Holland who helped the project take Harold Voris, Van Wallach, David Warrell, Romulus prospectors. A work of this nature is thus likely to Crocodiles (order Crocodylia) and their relatives today off include Ken Scriven, for his input and Whitaker, Antony Whitten, Guin Wogan, Perry become rapidly outdated, and one hopes it can be comprise just three living families with about two- encouragement, James Parry, who originally conceived Wood, Wolfgang Wüster, Norsham Yaakob, Paul revised at periodic intervals, incorporating all new dozen species, although a rich assemblage existed in the project, and commissioning editor Simon Papps. Yambun, Yuichirou Yasukawa, Darren J. Yeo, Yong information that becomes available. former times. They are some of the largest of living For information/images/translations/companion- Hoi Sen, Pui Min Yong, Timothy Youmans, Er-Mi Not all species covered here can be reliably reptiles. They have an enlarged head with powerful ship during field trips, I am grateful to Kraig Adler, Zhao, Zhou Ting, Thomas Ziegler, Nikolay Zinenko recognized in the field: for a number of groups, jaws equipped with numerous conical and pointed Natalia Ananjeva, Harry Andrews, E. Nicolas Arnold, and George Zug. particularly within the squamates (lizards and snakes), teeth; a broad and posteriorly flattened skull; external Kurt Auffenberg, the late Walter Auffenberg, Mark I am grateful to Andrew Alek Tuen, Director, reliable identification can be carried out only after ear openings; shortened forelimbs and a long to Auliya, Christopher Austin, Raul Bain, David Barker, Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental careful scale counts, in addition to examination of extremely long elongated snout. A ‘third eyelid’, the Aaron Bauer, David Bickford, Vladimir Bobrov, Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, and my dentitional and hemipeneal structures, which is nictitating membrane, covers the eyes while they are Wolfgang Böhme, Timothy Brophy, Rafe Brown, John other colleagues at this institute. I am thankful to my challenging to all except those with access to a underwater. Other external characteristics shared by Cadle, Ashok Captain, Chan Chew Lun, Lawan wife, Genevieve V.A. Gee, for the unenviable chore of microscope or at least a good hand lens. crocodiles and their close kin, alligators, include rather Chanhome, Joseph Charles, Michael Cota, Merrel reading the proofs, as well as for looking after the tough scaled skin, webbed feet and a laterally Jack Cox, Jennifer Daltry, Ilya Darevsky, Patrick household during the time spent writing and DEFINING REPTILES compressed, muscular tail bearing distinct ridges, the David, Stuart Davies, Geoff Davison, Maxmilian researching for this book. Finally, my thanks to my last two features being associated with a life in water Dehling, Arvin C. Diesmos, Cheong-Hoong Diong, friend, Patrick David, Musée National d’Histoire Unlike mammals and birds, which are natural units and swimming. Julian Dring, David S. Edwards, Linda Ford, Jack Naturelle, Paris, for his comments on the manuscript (or share a common ancestry), reptiles are not easy to Internal characteristics shared by the group include Frazier, Uwe Fritz,