Ruud DE LANG.The Snakes of the Lesser Sunda Islands (Nusa Tenggara), Indonesia[J].Asian Herpetological Research(AHR),2011,2(1):46-54.[doi:10.3724/SP.J.1245.2011.00046]
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The Snakes of the Lesser Sunda Islands (Nusa Tenggara), Indonesia
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Asian Herpetological Research[ISSN:2095-0357/CN:51-1735/Q]

Issue:
2011 VoI.2 No.1
Page:
46-54
Research Field:
Original Article
Publishing date:
2011-03-16

Info

Title:
The Snakes of the Lesser Sunda Islands (Nusa Tenggara), Indonesia
Author(s):
Ruud DE LANG*
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Keywords:
Ophidia;  serpents;  Lesser Sunda Islands;  Nusa Tenggara;  Indonesia;  Timor-Leste;  checklist;  distribution
PACS:
-
DOI:
10.3724/SP.J.1245.2011.00046
Abstract:
From the existing literature and data from museum specimens an overview is presented of all currently known terrestrial and semi-aquatic snakes of the Lesser Sunda Islands, in the Wallacean area of Indonesia. In total, twenty-nine species are known to inhabit the area. Of these eight are endemic to the area: Boiga hoeseli, Coelognathus subradiatus, Dendrelaphis inornatus, Stegonotus florensis, Cylindrophis opisthorhodus, Broghammerus timoriensis, Liasis mackloti and Typhlops schmutzi. Insular endemism is only found at the subspecific level, including Liasis mackloti dunni (Wetar), Liasis mackloti savuensis (Sawu), Ramphotyphlops polygrammicus brongersmai (Sumba), Ramphotyphlops polygrammicus elberti (Lombok) and Ramphotyphlops polygrammicus florensis (Flores). Such endemism may be due to the relatively young geological age of the Lesser Sunda Islands and that the snake fauna is still underestimated. Taxonomy of the genus Cylindrophis, the species Coelognathus subradiatus, Dendrelaphis inornatus, Cryptelytrops insularis, and the five subspecies of Ramphotyphlops polygrammicus need to be reviewed. Ecological studies are urgently required to establish if the species Broghammerus timoriensis and Liasis mackloti savuensis are endangered and which conservation measures should be taken.

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