Research Journal of Life Science APRIL-2018 Volume 5 NO. 1 (42-53) journal homepage: www.rjls.ub.ac.id The Linnaeus’s Reed Snake, Calamaria linnaei Boie (Squamata: Colubridae: Calamariinae) from Ijen Plateau, East Java, Indonesia Irvan Sidik 1, 2*, Sutiman B. Sumitro 1, Nia Kurniawan 1 1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Brawijaya, Indonesia 2 Laboratory of Herpetology, Zoology Division, Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences – LIPI, Cibinong, Indonesia Email address: [email protected] Abstract The decisive morphological character of Calamaria linnaei from the KEYWORDS Ijen plateau was analyzed in an attempt to evaluate these snakes independently Calamaria achieved as different populations or whether more likely only cryptic species Biogeography affected by natural conditions. The evidence was concluded that a cryptic Morphology species is very interesting to be regarded as something entirely different. In Snake general, however, the population appears to have more closely related to other Taxonomy congeners populations of the same species. It is suggested that at least temporarily, the C. linnaei population of the Ijen plateau be specifically considered to include in species with high individual variations based on limited geographic boundaries until molecular analysis proves it. Introduction was knew by Dumeril, Bibron and Dumeril in The reed snake genus Calamaria have their book of the Erpétologie générale ou shared with neighboring countries through their Histoire Naturelle complète des Reptiles in 1894 distribution in biogeography zone. The highest (Duméril et al., 1894). They had separated C. country for species diversity of Calamaria in the linnaei into several categories of body coloration world is Indonesia that representing with 41 after examined of live and preserved specimens. species (http://www.reptile-database.org.) One’s Over the century later, when Inger and Marx member of this genus is Linnaeus’s reed snake were observed C. linnaei especially from (Calamaria linnaei) with limited zoogeographic Cikajang, west of Java on the collections of the distribution, until now so far the species is Rijksmuseum van Natuurrlijke Historie (now definitively known for certain on Java (Iskandar under the name of Naturalis Biodiversity Center) and Colijn, 2001). Several localities outside of Leiden, subsequently after examined dozens of Java such as Bangka have never been an old specimen, they realized that this species reconfirmed, and some specimens were had diverse morphological variations. collected from Borneo which been reported as C. Thereafter, they were able to establish the linnaei mentioned Rooij (Rooij, 1917) and peculiarities of C. linnaei which was once named specimen collection by Meyer (Boulenger, 1894) into several names as distinct species. in the locality from Sulawesi is very doubtful C. linnaei is a monophyletic species that has (Inger and Marx. 1965). However, this species is a complicated history of the systematic and known to have a high diversity of morphological evolution (Inger and Marx, 1965). In the attempt characters and seems showed considerable to recognize the morphology diversity of C. intraspecific variation. This circumstance firstly linnaei as systematically, they also displaced How to cite this article: Sidik, I., Sumitro, S.B., Kurniawan, N. (2018). The Linnaeus’s Reed Snake, Calamaria linnaei Boie (Squamata: Colubridae: Calamariinae) from Ijen Plateau, East Java, Indonesia. Research Journal of Life Science 5 (1), 42-53. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.rjls.2018.005.01.5 43 Sidik, I. et al. The Linnaeus’s Reed Snake, Calamaria .......................................................................................... status of several name species which were to revealed in ensuring the identification of its described from Java as synonyms, such as lineages. described by Reinwardt (C. multipunctata, C. maculosa, C. reticulata), others species such as, Materials and methods C. versicolor (Ranzani), C. brevis (Boulenger), C. The present paper is based on sondaica (Barbour), Changulia multipunctata morphological data from the well-preserved (Mertens) and several variations species of C. specimen of C. linnaei from the Museum linnaei by Jan, namely as C. linnaei var. tessellata, Zoologicum Bogoriense in Cibinong, Indonesia. C. l. var. bilineata, C. l.var. transversalis, C. l. var. Comparisons of external character states are contaminata, and C. l. var. rhomboidea. based both on original descriptions, pertinent However, only one species has raised status from literature, and examination of museum variety species of C. linnaei var. melanota by Jan specimens. We used terminology for become to species of C. melanota. This notation morphological characters, scale counts and assumes that C. linnaei is a polymorphic may color pattern variations follow Duméril et al. manifest as single species although originated (1854), Inger and Marx (1965), and other from different locations in Java. defined characters adapted from Orlov et al. The morphological examination of the (2010). The following measurements in mm identified specimen that has resembled (morphometric) and scale counts (meristic) character will present an obvious picture of the were taken and abbreviated as follows: TL: total diversity of this species. Moreover, a length; TaL: tail length from vent to tip; and TR: monophyletic group contain considerable tail ratio: tail/total length. Other measurements genetic diversity and substructure, and may also were made with a dial caliper to the nearest 0.1 represent species complexes (Maholtra and mm and used to calculate shield ratios: R: rostral Thorpe, 2004). Nevertheless, significant width to height; RPf: rostral to the length of confusion arises when measurement and scaling prefrontal suture; PfF: prefrontal to frontal which mostly overlapping in number, despite length; FSu: width of frontal to supraocular; FP: having different color patterns. This complexity, frontal to parietal length. The qualitative of in consequence, will give some doubt to meristic characters: First scale of vertebral to researchers in determining descriptions while others; Pro to Pto: height of preoculars to performing the examination. The condition postoculars; Pto: dimension, width to height of emerges in case if without the support of the postocular; SL: number of supralabials, standard color patterns and details of the composition and size; EMo: eye diameter to scalation. However, the geographical discovery eye-mouth distance; Color pattern of first scale of habitat-related dispersal patterns can rows: Ven: number of ventral scale; SC: number contribute decipher the morphological problems of subcaudal scales; Dorsal color pattern; of cryptic (Bickford et al., 2006) as occurs in this Ventral black marking; Tail color pattern both species. Nevertheless, we have examined as dorsum and underside. Due to insufficient data many characters as possible and analyzed, from central and eastern of Java, we refer the apparently the population of the Ijen plateau literature based on the observation by Inger and considers to be treated as isolated populations. Marx (1965). The morphological characters this The different amounts of morphological species has varied considerably, total 124 characters and color pattern somehow still specimens have examined from 21 localities of require the further support of molecular analyses four provinces that covering various specimens were collected in Java. We also performed a Copyright © 2018 Universitas Brawijaya E-ISSN 2355-9926 44 Sidik, I. et al. The Linnaeus’s Reed Snake, Calamaria .......................................................................................... comparison for further convincing to the type examined specimens are the old collections of specimens, both species of reference as MZB.Ophi.4792 and 4795-98 (5 adults) were holotypes and other type specimens as collected by H. Lucht, January 1921 from the synonymous which deposited on Naturalis Ijen Plateau, Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands and with an altitude range of about 950 - 1100 m Natural History Museum, London, UK. (Figure 1). As is well known C. linnaei has a wide Specimens examined are listed in Appendix I variety of morphologies. Therefore we and museum label abbreviations in Appendix II. described the differences by comparing of the Ijen specimens with C. linnaei from other Results and discussion regions of Java. We also incorporated several Specimen description morphological characters on the subject related The defining morphological characters of C. to the identification, because the specimens linnaei from Ijen plateau was analyzed in an conform with almost all of the diagnostic attempt to confirm these specimens characters into C. linnaei. The more detailed of independently as distinguished populations or the description presented through the whether is more likely only a cryptic species. The physiognomy of the specimens, such as: Figure 1. The location of the specimen (n = 5) was collected in the Ijen mountains, Bondowoso, East Java, Indonesia. As shown on the black dot. Dorsal of body. The snake scales are formed by the differentiation of underlying skin or epidermis. Scales do not increase in number as for become mature nor reduce in number over time. The scales, however, grow larger and may change shape when ecdysis process. The prominent display as visible from above that is a short head with