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| Oligodon cattienensis
Vassilieva, Geissler, Galoyan, Poyarkov, Devender & Böhme, 2013
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Abstract
We describe a new species of the genus Oligodon from the lowland forests of Cat Tien National Park, Dong Nai Province, in southern Vietnam. Oligodon cattienensis sp. nov. is distinguished from the remaining Southeast Asian kukri snakes by the combination of the following characters: medium-sized, deeply forked hemipenes without spines, 17-17-15 dorsal scale rows, nasal entire, 2 small postoculars, almost equal in size, 167–178 ventrals, 31–35 subcaudals, 24–35 + 5 large dark-edged vertebral blotches in combination with a yellow-orange or red vertebral stripe between blotches, head pattern including ocular band, temporal bands and elongated chevron, ventrals pink or whitish (reddish in juveniles) in life, some bearing a quadrangular dark blotch on each lateral side, or ventrals being entirely dark. Based on the hemipenial morphology the new species is assigned to the Oligodon cyclurus species group. A comparison table for all Indochinese Oligodon
is provided.
Key words: Oligodon cattienensis sp. nov., Dong Nai Province, southern Indochina, taxonomy, natural history
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FIGURE 2. Holotype of Oligodon cattienensis sp. nov. (ZMMU R-13865) in life, dorsal (A) and ventral view (B). Photos by Anna B. Vassilieva.
FIGURE 4. Variation in life coloration of Oligodon cattienensis sp. nov. : (A) ZFMK 88921 (juvenile paratype); (B) ZMMU R-13866 adult male paratype; (C) ZMMU R-13815 adult male paratype; (D) uncollected adult specimen from Cat Tien National Park. Photos by Anna B. Vassilieva, Vitaly L. Trounov, Eduard A. Galoyan, Peter Geissler and Robert Wayne Van Devender
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Etymology The new species is named after its type locality, the Cat Tien National Park. Established in 1978, and covering about 72.000 hectares, CTNP is one of the most important areas for the conservation of biodiversity of the lowland forests in southern Indochina.
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| FIGURE 2. Holotype of Oligodon cattienensis sp. nov. (ZMMU R-13865) in life, dorsal (A) and ventral view (B). Photos by Anna B. Vassilieva. FIGURE 4. Variation in life coloration of Oligodon cattienensis sp. nov. : (A) ZFMK 88921 (juvenile paratype); (B) ZMMU R-13866 adult male paratype; (C) ZMMU R-13815 adult male paratype; (D) uncollected adult specimen from Cat Tien National Park. Photos by Anna B. Vassilieva, Vitaly L. Trounov, Eduard A. Galoyan, Peter Geissler and Robert Wayne Van Devender |
Vassilieva, Anna B., Peter Geissler, Eduard A. Galoyan, Nikolay A. J. Poyarkov, Robert W. V. Devender and Wolfgang Böhme. 2013. A New Species of Kukri Snake (Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826; Squamata: Colubridae) from the Cat Tien National Park, southern Vietnam.
Zootaxa. 3702(3): 233-246. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3702.3.2
Zootaxa. 3702(3): 233-246. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3702.3.2
