Best of 2018 - Xenophidion schaeferi

[orionmystery]

It is that time of the year to round up some of my favorite images taken in the year of 2018. Again, lots of herps (amphibians, reptiles) this year. Mostly with a wide angle lens and/or a 60mm macro lens.

Here are just eight of them. More of them here: http://orionmystery.blogspot.com/2019/0 ... -2018.html

Malayan Spinejaw Snake (Xenophidion schaeferi). This is probably the rarest snake in Peninsular Malaysia. The specific ephitet was in honour of Christian Schaefer - the herpetologist who found the holotype in 1988, and donated it to Zoological Museum, Berlin. Thirty years later, I found the third specimen while out looking for frogs with a guest! Peninsular Malaysia.
Xenophidion schaeferi_MG_0876 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Head shot of the Xenophidion schaeferi
Xenophidion schaeferi_MG_0804 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

A beautiful Western Bush Viper (Atheris chlorechis) we spotted late one night on our last day in Ghana back in August 2018.
Atheris chlorechis_MG_3237 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Up close with a Red-tailed Racer / Grey-tailed Racer (Gonyosoma oxycephalum) from the lowland forest of Peninsular Malaysia.
Gonyosoma oxycephalum_MG_1169 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Up close with a dark form ( melanistic) Dog-tooted Cat Snake (Boiga cynodon) from the lowland forest of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
Boiga cynodon_MG_0360 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Up close with a beautiful melanistic Dog-toothed Cat Snake (Boiga cynodon) from the lowland forest of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo.
Boiga cynodon_MG_2568 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Dragon-head Katydid (Ellatodon blanchardi) from the lowland forest of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
Ellatodon blanchardi_MG_0266 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Up close with a Gold-ringed Cat Snake / Mangrove Cat Snake (Boiga dendrophila) from the lowland forest of Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia.
Boiga dendrophila_MG_1221 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Up close with a stunning Gold-ringed Cat Snake (Boiga dendrophila annectens) from the lowland forest of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
Boiga dendrophila_MG_3723 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

My new favorite lizard in Borneo - Doria's Anglehead Lizard (Gonocephalus doriae) , Sarawak, Borneo.
Gonocephalus doriae_MG_1856 copy (2) by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Baby Dwarf Crocodiles (Osteolaemus tetrapis) we found in a marsh pond up on a hill in Ghana, August 2018. They're just so cute!
Osteolaemus tetrapis_MG_3038 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Baby Dwarf Crocodiles (Osteolaemus tetrapis) we found in a marsh pond up on a hill in Ghana, August 2018. They're just so cute!
Osteolaemus tetrapis_MG_3026 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Blue Coral Snake (Calliophis bivirgatus tetrataenia). Lowland forest of Sarawak, Borneo.
Calliophis bivirgatus_MG_2646 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Adult female Wagler's Pit Viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri) from Sumatra, Indonesia.
Tropidolaemus wagleri_MG_2352 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Female Bornean Keeled Pitviper (Tropidolaemus subannulatus) from Sarawak, Borneo.
Tropidolaemus subannulatus_MG_9715 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Red-headed Krait (Bungarus flaviceps baluensis) from Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
Bungarus flaviceps_MG_1602 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Beautiful little Striped Coral Snake (Calliophis intestinalis) from the lowland forest of Sarawak.
Calliophis intestinalis_MG_1717 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Up close with a stunningly beautiful Malcolm's Pitviper (Trimeresurus malcolmi) from the montane forest of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
Trimeresurus malcolmi_MG_9944 copy (2) by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Not the same individual but the second one John Sullivan and I found the same night!!! How lucky was that?
Trimeresurus malcolmi_MG_9955 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Juvenile Sumatran Pit Viper (Trimeresurus sumatranus) we found back in June 2018, lowland forest of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
Trimeresurus sumatranus_MG_1344 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Sumatran Pitviper (Trimeresurus sumatranus / Parias sumatranus) from the lowland forest of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
Trimeresurus sumatranus_MG_0115 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Dorsal view of a Mountain Pipe Snake (Anomochilus monticola), and an in-flight Provespa sp. wasp. Montane forest of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
Anomochilus monticola_MG_0470 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Check out the amazing markings on the patagium of this Five-banded Gliding Lizard (Draco quinquefasciatus). Lowland forest, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
Draco quinquefasciatus_MG_0230 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Boulenger's Tree Agama (Dendragama boulengeri) from the highland of Sumatra, Indonesia.
Dendragama boulengeri_MG_2402 copy (2) by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Up close with a Blue-eyed Anglehead Lizard (Gonocephalus liogaster) from the lowland forest of Sarawak, Borneo.
Gonocephalus liogaster_MG_1995 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

A male Smooth Guardian Frog (Limnonectes palavanensis) with tadpoles on his back. Lowland forest of Sarawak, Borneo.
Limnonectes palavanensis_MG_1985 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

This should be quite an easy "spot me" challenge. Go ahead! Peninsular Malaysia. If you can't find it, you can cheat by looking at the other 3 photos.
Spot Me_MG_3332 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Borneo Flying Frog (Rhacophorus borneensis) from the lowland forest of Sarawak, Borneo.
Rhacophorus borneensis_MG_1768 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Impressed Tortoise (Manuoria impressa) we found at the highland of Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia. There were many ticks on him/her.
Manouria impressa_MG_0917 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Kopstein's Bronzeback (Dendrelaphis kopsteini) from the lowland forest of Peninsular Malaysia.
Dendrelaphis kopsteini_MG_1012 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

Up close with a Borneo Pit Viper (Trimeresurus borneensis) from the lowland forest of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
Trimeresurus borneensis_MG_1585 copy by Kurt (Orionmystery) G, on Flickr

More of them here: http://orionmystery.blogspot.com/2019/0 ... -2018.html

[dendrelaphis]

Those finds and shots are incredible. The Xenophidion must have made your heart jump, you might consider publishing that encounter somewhere. When you say "lowland forest of sarawak", where in Sarawak was that?

[rpecora]

Great post!

Question, what differentiates your Xenophidion schaeferi from Xenophidion acanthognathus?

[orionmystery]

Those finds and shots are incredible. The Xenophidion must have made your heart jump, you might consider publishing that encounter somewhere. When you say "lowland forest of sarawak", where in Sarawak was that?

Thanks. I was so stoked even weeks after the find!!! Mainly just the national parks of Sarawak.

[orionmystery]

Great post!

Question, what differentiates your Xenophidion schaeferi from Xenophidion acanthognathus?

Thanks. I think X. acanthognathus only occurs in Borneo? A few Xenophidion have been found the past few years. There was another X. schaeferi found in 2017. Mine was on April 20, 2018. There was also a first record of Xenophidion in 2018.

Neil found Xenophidion acanthognathus in Sarawak in 2017. He posted pics of it in this forum.

Read about it here: https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... f_the_genu

[rpecora]

I’ll check it out.

[rpecora]

Interesting read. A lot of conclusions made based on one sided lineage. It would appear based on that study that quite possibly X. acanthognathus may be deemed invalid and/or the white/yellowish nape be more prevalent in X. shaeferi.

In any case, to have found something that has rarely been observed is really cool!

[Porter]

I dig your style Always a pleasure to see. I really like that coil strike pose of the banded, belly display of the striped coral, and dragon wings

[Jeff]

Kurt

With Anomochilus and Xenophidion under your belt, there are few remaining conquests.

Your post is a great resumé for "Expert Field Man" - others need not apply.

Jeff

[orionmystery]

I dig your style Always a pleasure to see. I really like that coil strike pose of the banded, belly display of the striped coral, and dragon wings

Thank you, Porter.

[orionmystery]

Kurt

With Anomochilus and Xenophidion under your belt, there are few remaining conquests.

Your post is a great resumé for "Expert Field Man" - others need not apply.

Jeff

Thanks, Jeff. I still couldn't believe i actually found a Xenophidion! Anomochilus is a lot more common though. I have only seen one in Peninsular but have seen three in Sabah - A. monticola at the highland of Sabah.