Tropidolaemus wagleri

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2022].

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

Wagler’s Pit Viper (Figures 26 C – E; Mandai Range Forest)

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

Biology. All specimens were observed at night and during a rainy weather at the limit between primary and secondary forests. Juvenile and subadult specimens were lying on the forest floor whereas adults were perched between 2 and 4 meters above the ground. In contrast to the usual mild temper of this species, one of the non preserved adult proved to be very aggressive both at day time and at night. This specimen was seemingly in good health and without external parasites. In the Province of Sumatera Barat, gravid females of this species, fortunately rather common, are much sought after to be sacrificed by local sorcerers during nocturnal prophetic ceremonies. These sorcerers, after having beheaded the snake and skinned it like an eel, “ read ” in its entrails in exchange of high retributions … Then, these sorcerers sell against a hefty price a “ black stone ” supposed to have been extracted from the animal and preserved in alcohol, as well as other viscera “ aimed to Singapore and other parts of Asia ”, according to a sorcerer’s own words. The origin of this stone is unclear but a pebble cleverly introduced by the shaman himself cannot be ruled out. The stone that we could see was clearly a small pebble.

Sumber: Note on a collection of Amphibians and Reptiles from Western Sumatra (Indonesia), with the description of a new species of the genus Bufo

Distribution on Sumatra. Provinces of Aceh, Sumatera Utara, Sumatera Barat, Riau, Jambi, Bengkulu, Sumatera Selatan, and Lampung; also the islands of Bangka and Nias, and Mentawai Archipelago and Riau Archipelago (David & Vogel, 1996; Vogel et al., 2007). Specimens from Belitung belong to another species, Tropidolaemus subannulatus (Gray, 1842) as defined in Vogel et al. (2007).

Sumber: Note on a collection of Amphibians and Reptiles from Western Sumatra (Indonesia), with the description of a new species of the genus Bufo