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| Hebius yanbianensis
Liu, Zhong, Wang, Liu & Guo, 2018
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Abstract
A new species of the natricine snake genus Hebius Thompson, 1913 is described from Sichuan Province, Southwest China, based on a single male specimen. The new species is distinguished from its congeners found in China and adjacent regions by possessing the following combination of characters: 1) TL/SVL ratio 0.35; 2) three postoculars; 3) six temporals in formula 1/(1+1) +1+2; 4) eight supralabials, 4th and 5th in contact with the eye, 6th supralabial largest; 5) ten infralabials with the first five bordering the anterior chinshields; 6) 172 ventrals (plus two preventrals); 7) cloacal plate divided; 8) 90 divided subcaudals; 9) dorsal scales in 19-19-17 rows, all weakly keeled except the outer two; 10) reduction of dorsal scale rows from 19 to 17 at the position above ventral scale 99th; 11) reduction of the tail dorsal scales from 8 to 6 rows at the position above 18th subcaudal, and from 6 to 4 rows at the position above 37th subcaudal; 12) postorbital bones do not touch frontals, the parietal ridge weakly developed; the end of the supratemporal bones extending beyond the braincase; maxillary teeth 23–25, the last two enlarged, without diastema between them and the anterior teeth. This species is an evergreen forest dweller.
Keywords: Reptilia, Hebius yanbianensis sp. nov., Natricinae, morphology, new species, taxonomy
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| General view of the holotype of Hebius yanbianensis sp. nov. (YBU 15018) in life.
Photo by G.H. Zhong.
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Hebius yanbianensis sp. nov.
Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality of this species, Yanbian County, Sichuan. We suggest
the following common names: Yanbian Fulianshe and Yanbian keelback snake (English).
Distribution. This species is currently known only from the type locality, Yanbian that is located in the
Hengduan Mountains valley in Sichuan Province, China with dry-hot climate.
Qin Liu, Guang-Hui Zhong, Ping Wang, Yang Liu and Peng Guo. 2018. A New Species of the Genus Hebius (Squamata: Colubridae) from Sichuan, China. Zootaxa. 4483(2); 385–394. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4483.2.10
