Some reptiles and amphibia from the Anamba Islands. Records of the Raffles Museum, No. 35
This short note by N. Smedley records the reptiles and amphibians collected from the Anamba Islands during two small expeditions in 1925 and 1928, providing the first faunal list for this group of islands in the South China Sea (p. 76).
Summary
Smedley documents specimens from two collections: one made by F. N. Chasen, Curator of the Raffles Museum, in August–September 1925, and another by M. R. Henderson, Curator of the Herbarium, Botanic Gardens, in April 1928 (p. 76). The list covers Lacertilia (including Gonatodes kendalli, Hemidactylus frenatus, Gehyra mutilata, Gecko verticillatus, Draco volans, Galotes cristatellus, Varanus nebulosus, Varanus salvator, Mabuia multifasciata, and Lygosoma olivaceum), Ophidia (Python reticulatus, Tropidonotus chrysargus, Dryophis prasinus), Chelonia (Chelonia mydas), and Amphibia (Rhacophorus leucomystax and Bufo melanostictus) (pp. 76–77). Smedley notes that the Anamba Islands form a faunal outpost of Malayan territory, in contrast to the nearby Natunas which show a closer affinity with the Bornean fauna (p. 76). Nomenclature follows de Rooij’s Indo-Australian Reptiles, pending a forthcoming treatment of priority by Dr. Malcolm Smith (p. 76).