[Herpetology • 2019] Trimeresurus yingjiangensis • A New Species of the Genus Trimeresurus (Squamata: Viperidae) from Southwest China

Trimeresurus yingjiangensis 

Chen, Ding, Shi & Zhang

in Chen, Zhang, Shi, et al., 2019. 

Yingjiang Green Pitviper | 盈江竹叶青  || DOI: 10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.180062

Abstract

Species from the Trimeresurus popeiorum complex (Subgenus: Popeia) is a very complex group. T. popeiorum is the only Popeia species known from China. During the past two years, five adult Popeia specimens (4 males, 1 female) were collected from Yingjiang County, Southern Yunnan, China. Molecular, morphological and ecological data show distinct differences from known species, herein we describe these specimens as a new species Trimeresurus yingjiangensis sp. nov. Chen, Ding, Shi and Zhang. Morphologically, the new species distinct from other Popeia species by a combination of following characters: (1) dorsal body olive drab,without cross bands on the scales; (2) a conspicuous bicolor ventrolateral stripe present on each side of males, first row of dorsal scales firebrick with a white ellipse dot on posterior upper part in male, these strips absent in females; (3) eyes firebrick in both gender; (4) suboculars separated from 3rd upper labial by one scale on each side; (5) ventrals 164–168 (n = 5); (6) MSR 21.

Keywords: Popeia;  morphology;  phylogenetics;  geographical isolation;  Trimeresurus yingjiangensis sp. nov.

Figure 3 Trimeresurus yingjiangensis sp. nov. holotype: DL2017070101.
 Head of view: A, dorsal; B, ventral; C and D, latera (left and right); E, lateral view of the body (left side); F, hemipenes (photographed by Shengchao SHI). Scale: 5 mm

     

     

Figure 1 Trimeresurus yingjiangensis sp. nov. in life:
A and B, holotype, male: DL2017070101, photo by Li DING;

C allotype, female: ZLtspynglg-2018-01, photo by Liang ZHANG; 

D, paratype, male: DL201070102, has a weak and short post ocular streak, photographed by Li DING.

Class: Reptilia, 

Order: Squamata, 

Suborder: Serpentes, 

Family: Viperidae

Trimeresurus yingjiangensis sp. nov. 

Chen, Ding, Shi and Zhang

Diagnosis. Trimeresurus yingjiangensis sp. nov. is assigned to Popeia group by hemipenes morphology (Malhotra and Thorpe, 2004), differ with its congeners by a combination of following characters: (1) dorsal body olive drab,without cross bands on the scales; (2) a conspicuous bicolor ventrolateral stripe present on each side of males, first row of dorsal scales firebrick with a white ellipse dot on posterior upper part in male, these strips absent in females; (3) the eyes firebrick in both gender; tail red, mottled with green laterally, and the ventrolateral stripes discontinuous on the tail; (4) hemipenes long, reaching 23rd to 25th SC, forked opposite 5-6th SC (n = 4), bifurcated near the base and the sulcus spermaticus split from the apex to basal without spines; (5) 21 DSR at middle body, moderately keeled; VEN = 164–168 (n = 5), SC = 60–76 (n = 5); Sexual dimorphism, the female has more ventrals and fewer subcaudals than males; (6) tail long, with ratios of TaL/TL between 0.199 and 0.219 in male.

Etymology. The specific name yingjiangensis refers to the location of type specimens, Yingjiang Country, Yunnan Province, China. The common name is suggested as “Yingjiang Green Pitviper” in English and “Yíng jiāng zhú yè qīng ( 盈江竹叶青 )” in Chinese. 

Distribution and habitat. Trimeresurus yingjiangensis sp. nov. was found in Yingjiang Country, Yunnan Province. At its typical locality, this species prefers to inhabit in streams about 1 000 meters elevation, and perch on branches waiting for prey (Figure 5).

Zening Chen, Liang Zhang, Jingsong Shi , Yezhong Tang, Yuhong Guo, Zhaobin Song and Li Ding. 2019. A New Species of the Genus Trimeresurus from Southwest China (Squamata: Viperidae). Asian Herpetological Research. 10(1); 13-23.  DOI: 10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.180062

   

[Herpetology • 2019] Bothrops sonene • A New Species of Bothrops (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalinae) from Pampas del Heath, southeastern Peru, with Comments on the Systematics of the Bothrops neuwiedi species group

Bothrops sonene 

Carrasco, Grazziotin, Farfán, Koch, Ochoa, Scrocchi, Leynaud & Chaparro, 2019.

 DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4565.3.1

Abstract

We describe a new species of pitviper of the genus Bothrops from the Peruvian Pampas del Heath, in the Bahuaja-Sonene National Park. Pampas del Heath is an area of seasonally flooded savannas and a northwestern extension of the Gran Chaco Boliviano-Paraguayo. The new species is easily distinguished from its congeners by the exclusive combination of dorsal color pattern of body consisting of small C-shaped blotches, postocular stripe originating posteriorly to the eye, covering posterior supralabials, dorsum of the head with paired markings arranged symmetrically, venter cream heavily speckled with brown, prelacunal scale discrete in contact with second supralabial, three to five prefoveals, subfoveal single usually present, postfoveals absent to two, canthals two, seven intersupraoculars, one or two suboculars, two or three postoculars, seven or eight supralabials, nine to eleven infralabials, 26–27 interrictals, 23–25 middorsal scales, 172 ventrals in the female and 169–173 in males, 45 subcaudals in the female and 50 in males. We performed separate and combined phylogenetic analyses based on morphology and five mitochondrial genes and recovered the new species as a member of the Bothrops neuwiedi species group. All lineages of this clade inhabit the South American dry diagonal. This novel species of pitviper increases the known diversity of the genus Bothrops and adds to the number of described taxa from the unique and scarcely known ecosystem of Pampas del Heath.

Keywords: Reptilia, Bothrops mattogrossensis, species delimitation, molecular phylogeny, morphological characters, total evidence

Bothrops sonene

Paola A. Carrasco, Felipe G. Grazziotin, Roy Santa Cruz Farfán, Claudia Koch, José Antonio Ochoa, Gustavo J. Scrocchi, Gerardo C. Leynaud and Juan C. Chaparro. 2019. A New Species of Bothrops (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalinae) from Pampas del Heath, southeastern Peru, with Comments on the Systematics of the Bothrops neuwiedi species group. Zootaxa. 4565(3); 301–344. DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4565.3.1

[Herpetology • 2018] Macrovipera razii • Molecular and Morphological Analyses have revealed A New Species of Blunt-nosed Viper of the Genus Macrovipera in Iran

  Macrovipera razii 

Oraie, Rastegar-Pouyani, Khosravani, Moradi, Akbari, Sehhatisabet, Shafiei, Stümpel & Joger, 2018

SALAMANDRA. 54(4)

Abstract

 A new species of blunt-nosed viper of the genus Macrovipera is described from the central and southern parts of Iran on the basis of morphological and molecular examination. The mitochondrial Cytb gene was used to investigate phylogenetic relationships amongst the Iranian species of the genus Macrovipera. A dataset with a final sequence length of 1043 nucleotides from 41 specimens from 18 geographically distant localities across Iran was generated. The findings demonstrated that two major clades with strong support can be identified within the genus Macrovipera in Iran. One clade consists of individuals belonging to a new species, which is distributed in the central and southern parts of Iran; the second clade includes two discernible subclades. The first subclade is distributed in western and northwestern Iran, Macrovipera lebetina obtusa, and the second subclade consists of northeastern populations, representing Macrovipera lebetina cernovi. The new species, Macrovipera razii sp. n., differs from its congeners by having higher numbers of ventral scales, elongated anterior chin-shields, and lower numbers of canthal plus intersupraocular scales.

Key words. Squamata, Serpentes, Viperidae, Macrovipera, new species, mitochondrial Cytb, phylogeny, taxonomy, Iran.

Macrovipera razii 

Figure 8. Macrovipera razii sp. n., paratype (adult female ERP 1941) from Pariz, 50 km north of Sirjan, Kerman Province (Photo: N. Moradi). 

Figure 9. Macrovipera razii sp. n. (ERP 1981) in its natural habitat in the Bamoo National Park, Fars Province, southern Iran (Photo: H. Oraie).

Macrovipera razii sp. n. 

Differential diagnosis: The newly described species differs from M. schweizeri by its higher number of mid-dorsal scales (25 vs. 23), which however overlaps the counts in other M. lebetina subspecies. Macrovipera razii sp. n. differs from M. lebetina by possessing a higher count of ventrals (172–175 vs. 160–170), and by having elongated anterior chin-shields, which are more than three times longer than the posterior ones. In contrast, M. lebetina has square anterior chin-shields, which are less than twice as long as the posterior chin-shields (Fig. 6). Compared to M. lebetina, the new species has a lower number of canthal + intersupraocular scales. More comparisons are provided in Table 4. Interestingly, Macrovipera razii sp. n. and M. lebetina cernovi are similar in both possessing one large supraocular scale, which is absent in M. lebetina obtusa (Fig. 5). Outside Iran, the subspecies M. lebetina euphratica (Schmidt, 1939) differs by having supraoculars that are split up into five scales, making it clearly distinguishable from Macrovipera razii sp. n., which has one large supraocular scale. The latter can be distinguished from Macrovipera lebetina lebetina (Linnaeus, 1758) and Macrovipera lebetina transmediterranea (Nilson & Andrén 1988) by the higher number of ventrals (172– 175 vs. 146–163 and 150–164, respectively), from Macrovipera lebetina turanica (Chernov, 1940) by the latter’s semidivided supraoculars and a dorsal colour pattern that consists of a dark ground colour with a lighter, orange zigzag pattern.

....

Etymology: The specific epithet is a noun in the genitive case, in honour of Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariyya al-Razi (854–925 CE), a Persian polymath, physician, alchemist, philosopher, and important figure in the history of medicine. Macrovipera is one of the most medically important snakes in Iran, and historically, physicians like him have been involved in snake bite therapy. We propose “Razi’s Viper” as a standard English name.

Distribution: All our specimens of Macrovipera razii sp. n. were collected from localities in central and southern Iran (Table 1, Fig. 1). This species might occur in other provinces of Iran, too, however. It is at present considered to be endemic to Iran.

Figure 8. Macrovipera razii sp. n., paratype (adult female ERP 1941) from Pariz, 50 km north of Sirjan, Kerman Province (Photo: N. Moradi).
Figure 9. Macrovipera razii sp. n. (ERP 1981) in its natural habitat in the Bamoo National Park, Fars Province, southern Iran (Photo: H. Oraie).

Figure 10. Various types of natural habitats of Macrovipera razii sp. n., type locality, 105 km on the road from Jiroft to Bam near Babgorgi village and Valley, Kerman Province (A); at the Fill Spring in Bamoo National Park, Fars Province (B); at Tolombeh Badi, Bakhtegan Lake protected area, Fars Province (C); at Ghatroyeh, Bahrame Goor National Park, Fars Province (D). (Photos: H. Oraie).

Hamzeh Oraie, Eskandar Rastegar-Pouyani, Azar Khosravani, Naeim Moradi, Abolfazl Akbari, Mohammad Ebrahim Sehhatisabet, Soheila Shafiei, Nikolaus Stümpel and Ulrich Joger. 2018. Molecular and Morphological Analyses have revealed A New Species of Blunt-nosed Viper of the Genus Macrovipera in Iran. SALAMANDRA. 54(4); 233-248. 

   

[Herpetology • 2017] Arboreality Constrains Morphological Evolution but Not Species Diversification in Vipers

Stejneger's Pitviper (Trimeresurus stejnegeri) 

 Alencar, Martins, Burin & Quental, 2017

    DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1775 

Abstract

An increase in ecological opportunities, either through changes in the environment or acquisition of new traits, is frequently associated with an increase in species and morphological diversification. However, it is possible that certain ecological settings might prevent lineages from diversifying. Arboreality evolved multiple times in vipers, making them ideal organisms for exploring how potentially new ecological opportunities affect their morphology and speciation regimes. Arboreal snakes are frequently suggested to have a very specialized morphology, and being too large, too small, too heavy, or having short tails might be challenging for them. Using trait-evolution models, we show that arboreal vipers are evolving towards intermediate body sizes, with longer tails and more slender bodies than terrestrial vipers. Arboreality strongly constrains body size and circumference evolution in vipers, while terrestrial lineages are evolving towards a broader range of morphological variants. Trait-dependent diversification models, however, suggest similar speciation rates between microhabitats. Thus, we show that arboreality might constrain morphological evolution but not necessarily affect the rates at which lineages generate new species.

KEYWORDS: speciation, divergent selection, snakes, Ornstein–Uhlenbeck

The arboreal Stejneger's Pitviper (Trimeresurus stejnegeri).

Photo: M. Martins 

Laura Rodrigues Vieira de Alencar, Marcio Martins, Gustavo Burin and Tiago Bosisio Quental. 2017. Arboreality Constrains Morphological Evolution but Not Species Diversification in Vipers. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 284(1869)  DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1775 

alencarlaura.weebly.com/publications.html

facebook.com/LauraAlencar10/posts/1593655680711909

    

[Herpetology • 2017] Gloydius rubromaculatus • A New Moth-preying Alpine Pit Viper Species (Viperidae, Crotalinae) from Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Gloydius rubromaculatus Shi, Li & Liu, 2017

in Shi, Wang, Chen, Fang, Ding, Huang, Hou, Liu & Li, 2017

   DOI:  10.1163/15685381-00003134 

Abstract

The Sanjiangyuan region of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot of alpine mammals but a barren area in terms of amphibians and reptiles. Here, we describe a new pit viper species, Gloydius rubromaculatus sp. n. Shi, Li and Liu, 2017 that was discovered in this region, with a brief taxonomic revision of the genus Gloydius. The new species can be distinguished from the other congeneric species by the following characteristics: cardinal crossbands on the back, indistinct canthus rostralis, glossy dorsal scales, colubrid-like oval head shape, irregular small black spots on the head scales, black eyes and high altitude distribution (3300-4770 m above sea level). The mitochondrial phylogenetic reconstruction supported the validity of the new species and furthermore reaffirms that G. intermedius changdaoensis, G. halys cognatus, G. h. caraganus and G. h. stejnegeri should be elevated as full species. Gloydius rubromaculatus sp. n. was found to be insectivorous: preying on moths (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Sideridis sp.) in the wild. This unusual diet may be one of the key factors to the survival of this species in such a harsh alpine environment.

Keywords: new species; Sanjiangyuan region; insectivorous; Gloydius rubromaculatus sp. n.

 

 Jingsong Shi, Gang Wang, Xi’er Chen, Yihao Fang, Li Ding, Song Huang, Mian Hou, Jun Liu and Pipeng Li. 2017. A New Moth-preying Alpine Pit Viper Species from Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (Viperidae, Crotalinae).    Amphibia-Reptilia. 38(4); 517 – 532.  DOI:  10.1163/15685381-00003134

facebook.com/105035939599143/photos/1128941230541937

 sohu.com/a/209708209_166433

[Herpetology • 2017] Troublesome Trimes: Potential Cryptic Speciation of the Trimeresurus (Popeia) popeiorum complex (Serpentes: Crotalidae) around the Isthmus of Kra (Myanmar and Thailand)

Trimeresurus (Popeia) collected from the Tanintharyi Division, Myanmar

Mulcahy, Lee, Miller & Zug, 2017

 DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4347.2.6 

Abstract

The taxonomic identity of the Trimeresurus (Popeia) popeiorum complex from the Isthmus of Kra and to the north was investigated. Several studies over the last decade have produced several specimens and associated mtDNA sequence data for a variety of individuals of the T. popeiorum and “T. sabahi” complexes. Here, we combine four mitochondrial genes (12S, 16S, ND4, and CytB) from all available specimens in GenBank with the addition of five new specimens collected from the mainland, Tanintharyi Region of Myanmar. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses identified that T. popeiorum sensu lato is paraphyletic with two geographically distinct clades: a northern clade representing populations from northern Myanmar, Laos and northern Thailand and a southern clade representing samples from the Tanintharyi Region and adjacent west Thailand. While the two clades have considerable genetic distance, they appear to be morphologically identical, leading to the hypothesis that the southern clade represents a cryptic, undescribed species. Because they appear to be cryptic species and the limitation of only five specimens from the southern lineage, this does not permit us to formally describe the new species. In accordance to past molecular studies, we uncovered paraphyly and lack of genetic support for the validity of taxa within the T. sabahi complex. However, we suggest recognizing these populations as subspecies within T. sabahi.

Keywords: Reptilia, Cryptic speciation, Myanmar, Southeast Asia, Subspecies, Tanintharyi Region, Thailand, Trimeresurus

FIGURE 2. Live specimens of Trimeresurus (Popeia) collected from the Tanintharyi Division, Myanmar examined in our study.
(A) Adult female specimen of Trimeresurus (Popeia) sp. nov. from Lenya, Tanintharyi Division, Myanmar (USNM 587588). (B-C) Adult female specimen of Trimeresurus (Popeia) sp. nov. from Ywahilu, Tanintharyi Division, Myanmar (USNM 587919). Photographs by Daniel G. Mulcahy.

Daniel G. Mulcahy, Justin L. Lee, Aryeh H. Miller and George R. Zug. 2017. Troublesome Trimes: Potential Cryptic Speciation of the Trimeresurus (Popeia) popeiorum complex (Serpentes: Crotalidae) around the Isthmus of Kra (Myanmar and Thailand). Zootaxa. 4347(2); 301–315. DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4347.2.6

  

[Herpetology • 2009] Gloydius lijianlii • A New Species (Squamata, Viperidae) from the northern Coastal Islands along Shandong Peninsula, China

Gloydius lijianlii 

Jiang & Zhao, 2009  

Abstract

　　The morphological characteristics of thirteen specimens (7♂♂, 6♀♀) on the snake genus Gloydius from northern coastal islands along Shandong Peninsula have been examined,and also compared carefully with reference to the related species records. They are considered as belonging to a new species. Diagnosis of the new species is given as follows.

  Key Words: Reptilia, Squamata, Viperidae, Gloydius, new species.

JIANG Fan and ZHAO Er-Mi. 2009. Gloydius lijianlii, A New Species from the northern Coastal Islands along Shandong Peninsula, China (Reptilia, Squamata, Viperidae). [in Chinese]. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica. 34(3): 642-646.

江 帆, 赵尔宓. 2009. 山东半岛北部沿岸岛屿蝮属一新种 ( 爬行纲 , 有鳞目, 蝰科).  http://bbs.pxtx.com/thread-887787-1-1.do

[Herpetology • 2016] Bothriechis nubestris • A Cryptic Palm-Pitviper Species (Squamata: Viperidae: Bothriechis) from the Costa Rican Highlands, with Notes on the Variation within B. nigroviridis

Talamancan Palm-Pitviper |  Bothriechis nubestris 

Doan, Mason, Castoe, Sasa & Parkinson, 2016

DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4138.2.3

Abstract

Middle America is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, harboring an exceptional number of rare and endemic species. This is especially true of Middle American cloud forests, where montane specialists occupy restricted, high-elevation ranges making them attractive candidates for investigating historical biogeography and speciation. One such highland-restricted species, the black speckled palm-pitviper (Bothriechis nigroviridis), occupies the Central, Tilarán, and Talamanca Cordilleras in Costa Rica and Panama. In this study, we investigate the genetic and morphological variation among populations of B. nigroviridis by inferring a multilocus phylogeny (21 individuals) and analyzing meristic scale characters with a principal component analysis (64 individuals). We find B. nigroviridis sensu stricto to be composed of two deeply divergent lineages, one with a restricted range in the northern and central Cordillera Talamanca and the other ranging throughout the Central, Tilarán, and Talamanca Cordilleras. Furthermore, these two lineages are morphologically distinct, with previously unrecognized differences in several characters allowing us to name and diagnose a new species Bothriechis nubestris sp. nov. We also examine the genetic and morphological variation within B. nigroviridis and discuss biogeographic hypotheses that may have led to the diversification of Bothriechis lineages.

Keywords: Reptilia, Bothriechis nubestris, Costa Rica, Middle America, new species, snake, Squamata, taxonomy, Viperidae

Diagnosis. (1) a medium-sized slender arboreal pitviper; (2) dorsum green with heavy black mottling; (3) iris blackish; (4) superciliary scales absent; (5) interrictals 22–29; (6) supraoculars thin, usually kidney-shaped; (7) intersupraoculars 6–10; (8) partial rows or two rows of irregular scales between suboculars and supralabials; (9) infralabials 9–12; (10) first dorsals usually 21 (75.9%); (11) second dorsals usually 21 (58.6%); (12) third dorsals usually 17 (85.7%); (13) ventrals 150–160; (14) subcaudals 52–64; (15) tail prehensile.

Specimens of Bothriechis nubestris differ from B. schlegelii and B. supraciliaris by lacking superciliary scales (present in B. schlegelii and B. supraciliaris). Bothriechis nubestris differs from all other Bothriechis species except B. nigroviridis by having green dorsal coloration with heavy black mottling and a blackish iris. Bothriechis nubestris differs from B. nigroviridis (see Table 1 for summary) by the combination of having 150–160 ventral scales (136–149 in B. nigroviridis), thin, often kidney-shaped supraoculars with a wide intersupraocular space (B. nigroviridis usually have wider supraoculars, never kidney-shaped, with narrow intersupraocular space, and higher average counts of interrictals, dorsals, and subcaudal scales than B. nigroviridis.

Distribution and natural history. Bothriechis nubestris is known from the northern and central portions of the Cordillera de Talamanca of Costa Rica in the provinces of San José, Cartago, and Limón (see Fig. 6). Three specimens (UCR 15422, 15428, 15429) have locality data that indicate they are from of the Cordillera Central, but they were snakes donated by locals to the Instituto Clodomiro Picado and it is possible that the locality data were recorded in error. We exclude these localities from consideration here, but acknowledge that if these localities are correct, the species also occurs in the Cordillera Central. The species has been recorded from 2400 m on Cerro de la Muerte to over 3000 m in San Gerardo de Dota. Bothriechis nubestris is an arboreal species usually found in the transition zone between cloud forest and montane rainforest.

Etymology. The specific epithet means ‘belonging to the clouds’. It is derived from the Latin noun nubes–, is, meaning cloud, and the Latin suffix –estris, meaning belonging to. This name alludes to the fact that this species inhabits cloud forests. The common name Talamancan Palm-Pitviper refers to its range in the Cordillera de Talamanca. 

Tiffany M. Doan, Andrew J. Mason, Todd A. Castoe, Mahmood Sasa and Christopher L. Parkinson. 2016. A Cryptic Palm-Pitviper Species (Squamata: Viperidae: Bothriechis) from the Costa Rican Highlands, with Notes on the Variation within B. nigroviridis. Zootaxa. 4138(2)  DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4138.2.3

snakegenomics.org/CastoeLab/Publications_files/Doan_etal_2016_Proofs.pdf

[Herpetology • 2016] Vipera walser • A New Vertebrate for Europe: The Discovery of A Range-restricted Relict Viper in the western Italian Alps

Vipera walser

Ghielmi, Menegon, Marsden, Laddaga & Ursenbacher, 2016

DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12138

Abstract

We describe Vipera walser, a new viper species from the north-western Italian Alps. Despite an overall morphological resemblance with Vipera berus, the new species is remarkably distinct genetically from both V. berus and other vipers occurring in western Europe and shows closer affinities to species occurring only in the Caucasus. Morphologically, the new species appear to be more similar to V. berus than to its closest relatives occurring in the Caucasus, but can be readily distinguished in most cases by a combination of meristic features as confirmed by discriminant analysis. The extant population shows a very low genetic variability measured with mitochondrial markers, suggesting that the taxon has suffered a serious population reduction/bottleneck in the past. The species is extremely range-restricted (less than 500 km2) and occurs only in two disjunct sites within the high rainfall valleys of the Alps north of Biella. This new species should be classified as globally ‘endangered’ due to its small and fragmented range, and an inferred population decline. The main near-future threats to the species are habitat changes associated with reduced grazing, along with persecution and collecting.

Keywords: Vipers; Vipera berus; Vipera walser; reptile conservation; new species; bPTP species delimitation model; Alps; biogeography; climate change

Vipera walser

Ghielmi, Menegon, Marsden, Laddaga & Ursenbacher, 2016 

Figure 6. Pattern variation in adult male (left) and adult female (right) of Vipera walser sp. nov.

  DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12138

Figure 7. Variation in head scalation in adult female (upper four photographs) and adult male (lower four photographs) of Vipera walser sp. nov.

 DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12138  

Taxonomy

Vipera walser

Ghielmi, Menegon, Marsden, Laddaga & Ursenbacher sp. nov. 

Holotype: Adult female: MSNG34485, collected in S. Giovanni d'Andorno, on the road to Oropa in the Biella prealps, at about 1300 m a.s.l. by A. Rosazza in the summer of 1930 (Fig. 5).

Paratypes: One adult male: MSNG33638M collected at Monte Rosso del Croso, on 30 August 1933. One juvenile male: MSNG33637B and one subadult male: MSNG30818C collected at Alpe Finestre by Felice Capra, respectively, on 28 July 1930 and 15 August 1928. One adult female: MSNG30818A, one subadult female: MSNG30818B, and two juvenile females: MSNG33637C and MSNG33637D collected by Felice Capra at Alpe Finestre between August 1928 and August 1939. One juvenile female: MSNG30286 collected by F. Capra at Monte Rosso del Croso on 12 September 1934; one adult female MSNG33637A collected by F. Capra at Alpe le Piane on 5 August 1937; one adult female MSNG41663 collected by A. Margiocco at Piedicavallo in September 1967.

Type locality: San Giovanni d'Andorno, strada per Oropa at 1300 m a.s.l. in the Alps north of town of Biella, a subrange of the Pennine Alps, north-western Italy.

Differential diagnosis: Vipera walser sp. nov. is generally similar to the species of the subgenus Pelias and can be confused with V. berus, which co-occurs on the Alps in allopatry (Fig. 6, Table 2). The species differs in a generalized higher count of cephalic scales, in particular the ones listed below (V. berus in parentheses): higher number of crown scales: 7–30, mean 17.4 (versus 4–22, mean 13.0); loreals: 4–15, mean 9.36 (versus 2–12, mean 6.72); and, to a lesser extent, perioculars: 16–23, mean 19.8 (versus 13–23, mean 18.4) (see Table 2). V. walser, in contrast to V. berus, also shows a marked tendency towards fragmentation of the cephalic large shields: the parietal scales are often completely broken down into several smaller scales: 2–14, mean 6.3 (versus 2–10, mean 2.4; see also Fig. 7). Less commonly, also the frontal scale is fragmented into smaller scales. Some individuals exhibit a dorsum of the head covered in small, irregular scales, like in V. aspis. V. walser has between 1.5 and 2 rows of subocular scales on both sides of the head in 85% of the analysed specimens (V. berus has typically one row of suboculars, with the exception of some populations in the southern Alps). The dorsal zigzag is often broken down into separate bars as in Vipera aspis (Linnaeus, 1758) or Vipera berus bosniensis (see Fig. 6). Despite the lack of a strictly diagnostic morphological character, V. walser can be readily distinguished from populations of V. berus from Central and northern Europe by a combination of several characters (e.g. the number of subocular scales, fragmentation of parietals and number of apicals). Identification based solely on observation of external morphology is less obvious if individuals of V. berus from southern Alps are considered. Despite this, discriminant analysis correctly identified individuals to species in 94% of females and 88% of males, based on a set of analysed characters (see Figs 2 and 3). The mean p-distance, based on a combined dataset of about 3000 base pairs of mitochondrial genes, between V. berus and V. walser is 5.36%. Based on our current knowledge of its distribution, Vipera walser is restricted to the Alps north of town of Biella, a subrange of the Pennine Alps, west of the river Ticino, north-western Italy (Fig. 8).

Etymology: Vipera walser sp. nov. is named after, and dedicated to, the Walser people with whom it shares an extraordinary beautiful and wild area of the south-western Alps.

Figure 8. Currently known extent of occurrence of Vipera walser sp. nov. (in blue) and V. berus (in red) in north western Italy

 DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12138  

Figure 6. Pattern variation in adult male (left) and adult female (right) of Vipera walser sp. nov.
Figure 9. Habitat of Vipera walser sp. nov; Valle Mastallone at 2,070 m (left) and Valle Strona at about 1,800 m (right)

 DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12138

Conclusion

The present study described and named a new viper species, V. walser, which shows strong genetic divergence and clear morphological differentiation from all other known European viper species. The new taxon occurs in a restricted area of the south-western Italian Alps and shows close affinities with the Caucasian species V. dinniki, V. darevskii and V. kaznakovi, opening unexpected and interesting biogeographic scenarios. The very small extent of occurrence of the new species implies a particularly high threat level, and thus conservation managements should be developed. The protection of its habitat, the limitation of the forest regrowth, but also the evaluation of its likely future distribution given climatic changes (for the long term) or struggle against culling (short term) are key elements to investigate. Involvement of local authorities, foundations and other stakeholders will be crucial in realizing effective protection of this species.

Samuele Ghielmi, Michele Menegon, Stuart J. Marsden, Lorenzo Laddaga and Sylvain Ursenbacher. 2016. A New Vertebrate for Europe: The Discovery of A Range-restricted Relict Viper in the western Italian Alps. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research.  54(3); 161–173.  DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12138

[Herpetology • 2016] Phylogeny and Diversification of Mountain Vipers (Montivipera, Nilson et al. 2001) triggered by multiple Plio-Pleistocene Refugia and High-Mountain Topography in the Near and Middle East

Fig. 2. Mitochondrial genealogy of mountain vipers (Montivipera). Bayesian 50% majority rule consensus tree of oriental mountain vipers (Montivipera), resulting from a partitioned analysis with three mt-genes (CYTB, COX1, ND5). Numbers identify nodes supported by Bayesian posterior probabilities and Maximum Likelihood Bootstrap values. Stars indicate nodes that are not supported by ML. Each drawing illustrates the typical mountain viper phenotypes of the corresponding haplo-group. Evolutionary lineages inhabiting lowland habitats are indicated by the green bar. All other haplo-groups are only known from high mountain areas.

 (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.04.025

Highlights

• We provide novel insights into the phylogeny of Montivipera and identify new cryptic taxa.

• Climatic oscillations during Plio–Pleistocene favoured genetic isolation and were drivers of allopatric speciation.

• Mountains have played a crucial role as filters for dispersal and as multiple refugia.

• We found high concordance between Montivipera haplotype distributions and plant refugia.

Abstract

The Near and Middle East is a hotspot of biodiversity, but the region remains underexplored at the level of genetic biodiversity. Here, we present an extensive molecular phylogeny of the viperid snake genus Montivipera, including all known taxa. Based on nuclear and mitochondrial data, we present novel insights into the phylogeny of the genus and review the status of its constituent species. Maximum likelihood methods revealed a montane origin of Montivipera at 12.3 Mya. We then analyzed factors of mountain viper diversity. Our data support substantial changes in effective population size through Plio–Pleistocene periods. We conclude that climatic oscillations were drivers of allopatric speciation, and that mountain systems of the Near and Middle East have strongly influenced the evolution and survival of taxa, because climatic and topographical heterogeneities induced by mountains have played a crucial role as filters for dispersal and as multiple refugia. The wide diversity of montane microhabitats enabled mountain vipers to retain their ecological niche during climatic pessima. In consequence the varied geological and topographical conditions between refugia favoured genetic isolation and created patterns of species richness resulting in the formation of neoendemic taxa. Our data support high concordance between geographic distributions of Montivipera haplotypes with putative plant refugia.

Keywords: Montivipera; Near East and Middle East; Phylogeny; Divergence times; Phylogeography; Allopatric speciation

Nikolaus Stümpel, Mehdi Rajabizadeh, Aziz Avcı, Wolfgang Wüster and Ulrich Joger. 2016.  Phylogeny and Diversification of Mountain Vipers (Montivipera, Nilson et al. 2001) triggered by multiple Plio-Pleistocene Refugia and High-Mountain Topography in the Near and Middle East. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.  101; 336–351. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.04.025

ResearchGate.net/publication/302554102_Phylogeny_and_diversification_of_mountain_vipers_Montivipera_Nilson_et_al_2001_triggered_by_multiple_Plio-Pleistocene_refugia_and_high-mountain_topography_in_the_Near_and_Middle_East