Trung Khanh Pitviper | Protobothrops trungkhanhensis
• recorded from karst region in Cao Bang Province, northeastern Vietnam
A new species of Protobothrops genera were recorded in karst region in Trung Khanh Nature Reserve, Cao Bang Province in northeastern Vietnam. This paper (part I) includes description of a new species of Protobothrops genus. The short data on natural history and comparison with species of Protobothrops and Trimeresurus sensu lato are provided. Special focus is made on comparison with Indochina and southern China pitvipers from karst massifs in tropical and subtropical forests. A new species of pit vipers from karst region of Trung Khanh Nature Reserve, Cao Bang Province in northeastern Vietnam is referred by us to genus Protobothrops Hoge et Romano-Hoge, 1983 on the base of 70 Nikolai L. Orlov et al. Fig. 1. Holotype ZISP 25351 (Fn 123) of Protobothrops trungkhanhensis sp. nov., general view. analysis of structure of hemipenis, which corresponds to type 3 spinose (Malhotra and Thorpe, 2004), structure of skull bones and skin. Analysis of roentgenograms shows that palatine bone slightly elongate triangle, not forked, without teeth unlike Viridovipera, Cryptelitrops, and Ovophis; maxillary bones without projection on border of cavity; anterior edge of ectopterygoid not enlarged (in comparison with Viridivipera, Cryptelitrops, and Ovophis) (Hoge and Romano-Hoge, 1983; Guo and Zhao, 2006); keeled dorsal scales, zicrodermatoglyphic structure of dorsal scales shows striated pattern corresponding to diagnosis of genus Protobothrops according to Hoge and Romano-Hoge (1983).
Synonym: Protobothrops trungkhanhensis ORLOV, RYABOV & NGUYEN 2009
Distribution: Vietnam (Cao Bang), elevation 500-700 m.
Type locality: Trung Khanh Nature Reserve, Trung Khanh district, Cao Bang province, N-E Vietnam, elevation 600 m.
Holotype: ZISP 25351 (Fn 123); an adult male, collected in September 2008 by Tao Nguyen Thien, Nikolai L. Orlov, Sergei A. Ryabov.
Etymology: The species received the name derived from the name (in Vietnamese) of Trung Khanh Town and Trung Khanh Nature Reserve, Cao Bang province, NE Vietnam.
A female Protobothrops trungkhanhensis found in northern Vietnam
Orlov, Nikolai L., Sergei A. Ryabov, and Nguyen Thien Tao 2009. Two New Species of Genera Protobothrops Hoge et Romano-Hoge, 1983 and Viridovipera Malhotra et Thorpe, 2004 (Ophidia: Viperidae: Crotalinae) from Karst Region in Northeastern Vietnam. Part I. Description of a New Species of Protobothrops Genus. Russian Journal of Herpetology. 16 (1): reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species.php?genus=Protobothrops&species=trungkhanhensis
Vietnam wild natures in focus: http://www.vncreatures.net/nnatures1.php
Thomas Ziegler, Amphibian and reptilian diversity research, conservation and breeding projects in Vietnam (Cologne Zoo): http://waza.org/files/webcontent/documents/press/Cologne%20Zoo.pdf
Feel the force: Tube-nosed bat - scientists find hundreds of new species: http://bit.ly/9z0K78
