SEAVR 2018: 016‐017
ISSN : 2424‐8525
Date of publication: 06 February 2018
Hosted online by ecologyasia.com

Alcala’s Triangle‐spotted Snake Cyclocorus lineatus alcalaion Sibuyan Island, Romblon Province, Philippines
Arman N. PILI & Yñigo Luis C. DEL PRADO
armannorciopili @ gmail.com (Pili)

Observers: Arman N. Pili, Niño Andree Louis E. Caguimbal.
Photograph by: Arman N. Pili.
Subject identified by: Maren Gaulke, Arvin C. Diesmos, Emerson Y. Sy.
Location: Barangay Jao‐Asan, Municipality of Magdiwang, Sibuyan Island, Romblon Province, Philippines(12° 27.42'N, 122° 33.92'E; WGS 84).
Elevation: 320 metres.
Habitat: Mature secondary forest.
Date and time: 16 September 2017, 11:35 hrs.
Identity of subject: Alcala’s Triangle‐spotted Snake, Cyclocorus lineatus alcalai (Reptilia: Squamata: Colubridae).
Description of record: A single adult male (Snout‐vent length = 263mm; Tail length = 73mm; Weight 19.5g) was
observed and collected on the ground with leaf litter, along a trail in mature secondary forest, within Mount
Guiting‐Guiting National Park. The specimen was collected under the Philippine Wildlife Gratuitous Permit #MIMAROPA‐2017‐0008 issued by the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources – MIMAROPA.
The specimen was preserved following the standard protocol for snake preservation (McDiarmid, 1994) anddeposited in the Philippine National Museum of Natural History (accession number PNM10103).

Fig. 1. Dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view of Cyclocorus lineatus alcalai© Arman N. PiliRemarks: The specimen was identified as Cyclocorus lineatus alcalai based on the following diagnostic features: (i)two anterior temporal scales; (ii) eight upper labial scales; (iii) 142 ventral scales; (iv) 47 subcaudal scales; (v) taillength/standard length ratio is 0.2776; (vi) venter with dark, triangularly‐shaped blotches, well‐developed along
lateral edges of ventral shields (Fig. 1). The number of subcaudal scales of the specimen is within the range ofsubcaudal scales of C. lineatus alcalai (42–53), which is the subspecies’ distinguishing characteristic from its
conspecific, C. lineatus lineatus (52–59) (Leviton, 1967).

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Cyclocorus lineatus has two described subspecies in the Philippines: C. lineatus lineatus, which is found on theislands of Catanduanes, Luzon, and Mindoro (north and west to Sibuyan Island, respectively), and C. lineatus alcalai,
which is found on the islands of Cebu, Negros, Panay (which all lie south of Sibuyan Island), and Tablas (which lies
west of Sibuyan Island and is the nearest part of the known range) (Ross & Gonzales, 1992; Gaulke, 2011; Siler etal., 2012).
This specimen of C. lineatus alcalai is the first record on Sibuyan Island and second record in Romblon Province.
Acknowledgements: We thank the Protected Areas Management Board of Mount Guiting‐Guiting National Parkfor their assistance. Financial Support for ANP was provided by the National Geographic Science and Exploration
Asia – Young Explorer’s Grant (ASIA #57‐16), and ANP and YDP by the Department of Science and Technology–
Science Education Institute (ASTHRDP Scholarship).
References:Gaulke, M. (2011). The Herpetofauna of Panay Island, Philippines. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main. 387 pp.
Leviton, A. E. (1967). Contributions to a review of Philippine snakes, IX. The snakes of the genus Cyclocorus.
Philippine Journal of Science 94: 519–533.
McDiarmid, R. W. (1994). Preparing amphibians as scientific specimens, pp. 289297. In W. R. Heyer, M. A.
Donnelly, R. W. McDiarmid, L.‐A. C. Hayek, & M. S. Foster (Eds.). Measuring and monitoring biological diversity.
Smithsonian Institution.
Ross, C.A. and Gonzales, P.C. (1992). Amphibians and reptiles of Catanduanes Island, Philippines. National
Museum Papers (Manila) 2(2): 50–76.
Siler, C.D., Swab, J.C., Oliveros, C.H., Diesmos, A.C., Averia, L., Alcala, A.C. & Brown, R.M. (2012). Amphibians andreptiles, Romblon Island Group, central Philippines: comprehensive herpetofaunal inventory. Check List 8(3): 443–462.

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