Species Dendrelaphis calligastra (Günther, 1867)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Dendrophis calligastra Günther, A. 1867. Additions to the knowledge of Australian reptiles and fishes. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 3 20(8): 45-68 [53].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH 67.5.6.71, Cape York, QLD.
• Dendrophis lineolata Duméril, A.M.C., Bibron, G. & Duméril, A. 1854. Erpétologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. Paris : Roret Vol. 7(1) xvi 780 pp. [200] [in part; this name is usually mistakenly attributed to Hombron & Jacquinot in Dumont d'Urville, M.J. 1842. Voyage au Pôle Sud et dans l'Océanie sur les corvettes l'Astrolabe et la Zélée, éxecuté pendant les années 1837–40. Atlas Sauriens (1842, pl. 2). [1842–1853], who published only a figure without application of binomial nomenclature. It was subsequenly described by Jacquinot, J. & Guichenot, M.A. 1853. Reptiles et Poissons. In, Dumont d'Urville, M.J. (ed). Voyage au Pôle Sud et dans l'Astrolabe et la Zélée, éxecuté pendant les années 1837–40. Zoologie 3 1–28. Paris : Gide et Baudry, p. 20, who attributed the name to C. Duméril (in ms). The subsequent year Duméril, A.M.C., Bibron, G. & Duméril, A. 1854. Erpétologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. Paris : Roret Vol. 7(1) xvi 780 pp. p. 200, also described this taxon as a new 'unpublished species'. The series on which Duméril, Bibron & Duméril based their description included material 'probably from Australia'; this description is included in the above synonymy pending resolution of the authorship and type fixation of Dendrophis lineolata].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) MNHP (status unknown), Papua New Guinea; Waigeo Is., Irian Jaya, Indonesia; 'probably Australia'.

  Secondary source:

   Dumont d'Urville, M.J. 1842. Voyage au Pôle Sud et dans l'Océanie sur les corvettes l'Astrolabe et la Zélée, éxecuté pendant les années 1837–40. Atlas Sauriens (1842, pl. 2). [1842–1853]; Jacquinot, J. & Guichenot, M.A. 1853. Reptiles et Poissons. In, Dumont d'Urville, M.J. (ed.). Voyage au Pôle Sud et dans l'Astrolabe et la Zélée, éxecuté pendant les années 1837–40. Zoologie. Paris : Gide et Baudry Vol. 3 28 pp.; Duméril, A.M.C., Bibron, G. & Duméril, A. 1854. Erpétologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. Paris : Roret Vol. 7(1) xvi 780 pp.
• Dendrophis aruensis Doria, G. 1874. Enumerazione dei rettili raccolti dal Dott. O. Beccari in Amboina alle Isole Aru ed alle Isole Kei durante gli anni. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genova 6: 325-357 [349, pl. 12 fig. g].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) MCG C.E. 30594, Wokan, Aru Ils, Indonesia.
• Dendrophis katowensis Macleay, W. 1877. The ophidians of the Chevert Expedition. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 2: 33-41 [1878 on title page] [37].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) AM R31916–17, Mawatta, Binaturi River (as Katow), Papua New Guinea.
• Dendrophis darnleyensis Macleay, W. 1877. The ophidians of the Chevert Expedition. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 2: 33-41 [1878 on title page] [38].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) AM R31914–15, Darnley Is., Torres Strait, QLD.
• Dendrophis calligaster Boulenger, G.A. 1894. Catalogue of Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). 2. London : British Museum xi 382 pp. 20 pls. [80] [invalid emendation of Dendrophis calligastra Günther, 1867].
• Dendrophis salomonsis Günther, A. 1872. Seventh account of new species of snakes in the collection of the British Museum. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 4 9: 13-37 [25].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) BMNH, Solomon Ils.
• Dendrelaphis papuensis Boulenger, G.A. 1895. Descriptions of two new reptiles obtained by Mr A.S. Meek in the Trobriand Islands, British New Guinea. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 6 14: 408-409 [409].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) BMNH, Trobriand Ils, Papua New Guinea.
• Dendrelaphis schlenkeri Ogilby, J.D. 1898. Ophidia and Pisces. In Steel, T. (ed.) Contributions to a knowledge of the fauna of British New Guinea. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 23: 361-363 [361 fig.].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM R2380, Fife Bay, Papua New Guinea [10°35'S 150°00'E].
• Dendrophis calligastra keiensis Mertens, R. 1926. Über die Rassen einiger indo-australischer Reptilien. Senckenbergiana Biologica 8: 272-279 [277].

  Type data:

   Holotype SMF 18662 F, Dulah, Kei Ils, Indonesia.
• Dendrophis calligastra distinguendus Meise, W. & Hennig, W. 1932. Die Schlangengattung Dendrophis. Zoologischer Anzeiger 99: 273-279 [279].

  Type data:

   Holotype MTKD D2107 (destroyed, see Obst, F.J. 1977. Die Herpetologische Sammlung des Staatlichen Museums für Tierkunde Dresden und ihre Typusexemplare. Zool. Abh. Mus. Tierk. Dresden 34: 171–186), Muliama, Süd-Mecklenburg, Papua New Guinea.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Cogger, H.G., in Cogger, H.G., Cameron, E.E. & Cogger, H.M. 1983. Amphibia and Reptilia. 313 pp. in Walton, D.W. (ed.). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 1 vi + 313 pp. [211]

Generic Combinations

• Dendrelaphis calligastra (Günther, 1867).

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Indonesian islands of the Arafura Sea, and New Guinea

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

Qld: Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Wet Tropics (WT)

Other Regions

Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

Ecological Descriptors

Arboreal, closed forest, diurnal, mangrove, oviparous, predator, woodland.

Extra Ecological Information

General carnivore.

General References

Mertens, R. 1926. Über die Rassen einiger indo-australischer Reptilien. Senckenbergiana Biologica 8: 272-279 (taxonomy)

Roux, J. 1919. Note sur quelques reptiles provenant de la Nouvelle-Guinée. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 27: 347-351 (natural history)

Savage, J.M. 1952. Two centuries of confusion: the history of the snake name Ahaetulla. Bulletin of the Chicago Academy of Sciences 9: 203-216 (taxonomy)

Common Name References

CAVS 2006. Census of Australian Vertebrate Species. Australian Biological Resources Study. (Northern Tree Snake)

History of changes