Boiga irregularis (BECHSTEIN, 1802)

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Higher Taxa	Colubridae, Colubrinae, Serpentes (snakes)
Subspecies
Common Names	E: Brown catsnake, Brown Tree Snake G: Braune Nachtbaumnatter
Synonym	Coluber irregularis BECHSTEIN 1802: 239 Hurria pseudoboiga DAUDIN 1803: 277 (nomen nov. pro Coluber irregularis) Dendrophis (Ahetula) fusca GRAY 1842: 54 Triglyphodon irregulare — DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 1074 Triglyphodon flavescens DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 1080 Pappophis laticeps MACLEAY 1877: 39 Pappophis flavigastra MACLEAY 1877: 40 Dipsas boydii MACLEAY 1884: 548 Dipsas irregularis — FISCHER 1884: 49 Dipsas ornata MACLEAY 1888: 416 Dipsadomorphus irregularis — WERNER 1899: 374 Dipsadomorphus irregularis Merr. var. papuana — WERNER 1899 (?) Dipsadomorphus fuscus — LONGMAN 1915 Dipsadomorphus irregularis — LONGMAN 1918 Boiga irregularis - COGGER 1983: 209 Boiga fusca — EHRMANN 1992: 374 Boiga irregularis — COGGER 2000: 618 Boiga fusca fusca — ORLOV & RYABOV 2002: 51 Boiga fusca ornata — ORLOV & RYABOV 2002: 51 Boiga irregularis — WILSON & SWAN 2010
Distribution	Indonesia (Sulawesi: Togian Islands, Halmahera), New Guinea, Australia (New South Wales, North Territory, Queensland, West Australia), Guam (introduced), Solomon Islands [McCoy 2000], Caroline Islands (Pohnpei) Type locality: unknown Map legend: - Region according to the TDWG standard, not a precise distribution map. NOTE: TDWG regions are generated automatically from the text in the distribution field and this does not always work properly. We are working on it.
Types	Holotype: presumed lost fide COGGER 1983. Holotype: BMNH 1946.1.1.28, from Port Essington, N. T. [Dendrophis (Ahetula) fusca] Syntypes: AM R31888-91, from Hall Sound, Papua New Guinea [Pappophis laticeps] Holotype: AM R31887, from Mawatta, Binaturi River (as Katow), Papua New Guinea [Pappophis flavigastra] Holotype: AM R31892, from "collection from J. A. Boyd of Ripple Creek, Ingham, in northern Qld.” [Dipsas boydii] Holotype: AM R31893, from "vicinity of King's Sound", W. A. [Dipsas ornata]
Comment	Venomous! Synonymy mainly after COGGER 1983. This snake is famous for its disastrous role on the native fauna of Guam (see info links below for details). ORLOV & RYABOV 2002 listed Boiga fusca as valid species but without justification or references. Kaiser et al. 2013 rejected the generic names Dorisious Hoser 2012, Mulvanyus Hoser 2012 and synonymized them with Boiga. Type species: Coluber irregularis BECHSTEIN 1802 is the type species of the genus Boiga FITZINGER. The name Ibiba Gray, 1825, as suppressed under the plenary powers in in ICZN Opinion 1374, has been placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology. Reproduction: oviparous.
References	Bauer, Aaron M. and Rainer Günther 2013. Origin and identity of the von Borcke collection of amphibians and reptiles in the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin: A cache of Seba specimens? Zoosystematics and Evolution 89 (1): 167–185 - get paper here Bechstein, J. M. 1802. Herrn de Lacépède's Naturgeschichte der Amphibien oder der eyerlegenden vierfüssigen Thiere und der Schlangen. Eine Fortsetzung von Buffon's Naturgeschichte aus dem Französischen übersetzt und mit Anmerkungen und Zusätzen versehen. Weimar: Industrie Comptoir - get paper here Boulenger, G.A. 1886. On the reptiles and batrachians of the Solomon Islands. Trans. Zool. Soc. London 12: 35-62 Buden, D.W.; Lynch, D.B. & Zug, G.R. 2001. Recent records of exotic reptiles on Pohnpei, Eastern Caroline Islands, Micronesia. Pacific Science 55 (1): 65-70 Cogger,H.G. 2000. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 6th ed. Ralph Curtis Publishing, Sanibel Island, 808 pp. Daudin 1802. Histoire Naturelle, Générale et Particulière des Reptiles, Vol. 4. F. Dufart, Paris. Duméril, A. M. C., BIBRON, G. & DUMÉRIL, A. H. A., 1854. Erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome septième. Deuxième partie, comprenant l'histoire des serpents venimeux. Paris, Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret: i-xii + 781-1536 - get paper here Escoriza Boj, D. 2005. Australia. Reptiles and Amphibians, Part 1: Rainforest. Reptilia (GB) (40): 70-75 - get paper here Even, E. 2009. Neuer Nachweis für drei Schlangenarten für die Togian-Inseln, Sulawesi. Elaphe 17 (1): 56-59 Fischer, J. G. 1884. Herpetologische Bemerkungen. Abh. Nat. Ver. Hamburg 8 (2): 43-51 (3-11) Fritts, T.H. 1988. The brown tree snake, Boiga irregularis, a threat to Pacific islands Fish and Wildl. Serv., U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Wash., D.C., Biol. Rept. 88-31 36 pp. Gray, J. E. 1842. Description of some hitherto unrecorded species of Australian reptiles and batrachians. Zoological Miscellany 51—57 (London: Treuttel, Würtz & Co) - get paper here Groen,J. 2008. Het Boiga-genus. Lacerta 66 (1-3): 64-79 - get paper here Hoser, R.T. 2012. Divisions of the Asian colubrid snake genera Xenochrophis, Dendrelaphis and Boiga (Serpentes: Colubridae). Australasian J. Herpetol. 12:65–76 ICZN 1986. OPINION 1374: BOIGA FITZINGER. 1826 (REPTILIA, SERPENTES): CONSERVED. Bull. zool. Nom. 43 (1) in den Bosch, H. A. J. 1985. Snakes of Sulawesi: checklist, key and additional biogeographical remarks. Zoologische Verhandelingen 217: 3-50. - get paper here Jackson, K. and G. Perry 2000. Changes in intestinal morphology following feeding in the Brown Treesnake, Boiga irregularis. Journal of Herpetology 34 (3): 459-462. - get paper here Jordan, M.A.; Rodda, G.H. 1994. Identification of sex in Boiga irregularis: Implications for understanding population dynamics in Guam Journal of Herpetology 28 (3): 381-384 - get paper here Kaiser, H.; Crother, B.I.; Kelly, C.M.R.; Luiselli, L.; O’Shea, M.; Ota, H.; Passos, P.; Schleip, W. 2013. Best Practices: In the 21st Century, Taxonomic Decisions in Herpetology are Acceptable Only When Supported by a Body of Evidence and Published via Peer-Review. Herpetological Review 44 (1): 8-23 Knox, Andrew and Kate Jackson 2010. Ecological and phylogenetic influences on maxillary dentition in snakes. Phyllomedusa 9 (2): 121-131 - get paper here Koch, André; Arida, Evy; Riyanto, Awal & Böhme, Wolfgang 2009. Islands between the realms: A revised checklist of the herpetofauna of the Talaud archipelago, Indonesia, with a discussion about its biogeographic affinities. Bonner zoologische Beiträge 56 (1/2): 107-129 [2007] - get paper here Longman, H. A. 1915. Reptiles from Queensland and the Northern Territory. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 3:30-34. Longman, H. A. 1918. Notes on some Queensland and Papuan reptiles. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 6: 37-44 Macleay, W. 1877. The ophidians of the Chevert Expedition. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 2: 33-41. Macleay, W. 1884. Census of Australian snakes with descriptions of two new species. Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. 9: 548-568 Macleay, W. 1888. Notes on some ophidians from King's Sound, north-west Australia. Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. (2) 3: 416-418 Mason, Lisa C.; Julie A. Savidge, Gordon H. Rodda, and Amy A. Yackel Adams 2011. Scented Guide Ropes as a Method to Enhance Brown Treesnake (Boiga irregularis) Trap Capture Success on Guam Journal of Herpetology 45 (3): 308-312. - get paper here Mathies, Tom; John A. Cruz, Valentine A. Lance, and Julie A. Savidge 2010. Reproductive Biology of Male Brown Treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on Guam. Journal of Herpetology 44 (2): 209–221 - get paper here McCoid, M.J.;Fritts, T.H.;Campbell, E.W. 1994. A Brown Tree Snake (Colubridae: Boiga Irregularis) Sighting in Texas Texas Journal of Science 46 (4): 365-368 McCoy, M. 2000. Reptiles of the Solomon Islands. ZooGraphics, Kuranda (Australia), CD-ROM. McCoy, M. 2006. Reptiles of the Solomon Islands. Pensoft Series Faunistica 57, 212 pp. Orlov, Nikolai L. and Sergei A. Ryabov 2002. A new species of the genus Boiga (Serpentes, Colubridae, Colubrinae) from Tanahjampea Island and description of "black form" of Boiga cynodon Complex from Sumatra (Indonesia). Russ. J. Herpetol. 9 (1): 33-56 - get paper here Orlov, Nikolai L.; Sergei V. Kudryavtzev; Sergei A. Ryabov, and Oleg V. Shumakov 2003. A NEW SPECIES OF GENUS Boiga (SERPENTES: COLUBRIDAE: COLUBRINAE) AND COLOR ATLAS OF BOIGAS FROM BENGKULU PROVINCE (SUMATRA, INDONESIA). Russ. J. Herpetol. 10 (1): 31-52 - get paper here Ramadhan, Gilang; Djoko T. Iskandar and Dadang R. Subasri. 2010. New Species of Cat Snake (Serpentes: Colubridae) Morphologically Similar to Boiga cynodon from the Nusa Tenggara Islands, Indonesia. Asian Herpetological Research 1 (1): 22-30 - get paper here Rodda, G. H.; Fritts, T. H. 1992. The Impact of the Introduction of the Colubrid Snake Boiga irregularis on Guams Lizards Journal of Herpetology 26 (2): 166-174 - get paper here Schmidt, Dieter 2012. Giftbisse von giftigen und „harmlosen“ Schlangen. Teil 2. Terraria Elaphe 2012 (3): 68-75 - get paper here Setiadi, M. I. & A. Hamidy, 2006. Jenis-Jenis Herpetofauna di Pulau Halmahera. Kerjasama antara Pusat Studi Biodiversitas dan Konservasi Universitas Indonesia dan Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Puslit Biologi Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia. - get paper here Somaweera, R. 2009. Snakes of Darwin. Poster, University of Sydney Switak, Karl H. 2006. Adventures in Green Python Country. Natur und Tier Verlag (Münster), 364 pp. - get paper here Wanger, T. C., I. Motzke, S. Saleh & D. T. Iskandar 2011. The amphibians and reptiles of the Lore Lindu National Park area, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Salamandra 47 (1): 17-29 - get paper here Werner, F. 1899. Ueber Reptilien und Batrachier aus Togoland, Kamerun und Deutsch-Neu-Guinea grösstentheils aus dem k. Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 49: 132-157 Werner, F. 1899. Beiträge zur Herpetologie der pacifischen Inselwelt und von Kleinasien. I. Bemerkungen über einige Reptilien aus Neu-Guinea und Polynesien. II. Über einige Reptilien und Batrachier aus Kleinasien. Zool. Anz. 22: 371-375, 375-378 - get paper here Wilson,S. & Swan, G. 2010. A complete guide to reptiles of Australia, 3rd ed. Chatswood: New Holland, 558 pp.
External links	http://www.jcu.edu.au/dept/Zoology/herp/trept/colu.html http://www.kingsnake.com/oz/snakes/colubrids/colubrids.htm http://www.mesc.usgs.gov/resources/education/bts/bts_home.asp http://www.amonline.net.au/herpetology/research/pdf/colubridae.pdf http://www.arod.com.au/arod/reptilia/Squamata/Colubridae/Boiga/irregularis http://the-scientist.com/2012/05/01/its-raining-mice/ Google images

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