First record of Ahaetulla mycterizans (Linnaeus, 1758) (Serpentes: Colubridae) from the Lesser Sunda region, Indonesia, based on molecular and morphological identification

Abstract

Previous studies on the distribution of the Ahaetulla snake across Indonesia only focused on morphological characterswithout any molecular data. This study was aimed at analyzing phylogenetic relationships among the genus Ahaetulla in Indonesiabased on partial mitochondrial DNA sequences of 16 specimens collected from the Sundaland and Lesser Sunda regions. The 12S-rDNAgene was PCR-amplified and sequenced to analyze phylogenetic relationships and to estimate the divergence time between the 2Ahaetulla populations of the Sundaland and Lesser Sunda regions. Morphological characters of 3 Ahaetulla specimens from LesserSunda and Sundaland have also been analyzed to confirm the results based on molecular markers. Both the phylogenetic analysesand morphological characters revealed the presence of 2 Ahaetulla species, A. mycterizans and A. prasina, in Sundaland as well as inthe Lesser Sunda region. Previously, A. mycterizans was only known to exist in Sundaland. Its presence in the Lesser Sunda region isreported here for the first time. The divergence time estimations suggested the presence of A. mycterizans in Lesser Sunda had occurredduring the Miocene, around 12.1 Ma. Consequently, this study has added A. mycterizans to the list of snakes that inhabit Lesser Sundaand revealed the need to initiate a survey in more detail to investigate the presence of A. mycterizans in other regions of Southeast Asia.