Thursday, November 29, 2018

[Herpetology • 2018] On the Taxonomy and Phylogeny of the Rare Selangor Mud Snake Raclitia indica Gray (Serpentes, Homalopsidae) from Peninsular Malaysia


Raclitia indica Gray, 1842 

in Quah, Wood, Grismer & Anuar, 2018.
 Photo by Evan Quah. facebook.com/EvanQuah

Abstract
The taxonomic position of the rare Selangor Mud Snake (Raclitia indica) Gray to other species of homalopsids has remained uncertain due to the scarcity of specimens in collections and the lack of genetic material for comparison. Here we report the first molecular phylogenetic examination of this species based on recently acquired material. The study recovered R. indica nested within the clade of advanced, fanged homalopsids and the sister species to Erpeton tentaculatus Lácèpede. We also present notes on variation observed in the new specimens as well as range extensions for the species.

Keywords: Reptilia, Reptile, Squamata, Enhydris, conservation, endemic, biodiversity


 Raclitia indica from Lubuk Yu, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia.
 Photo by Evan Quah.


Evan S.H. Quah, Perry L. Jr. Wood, L. Lee Grismer and Shahrul Anuar Mohd Sah. 2018. On the Taxonomy and Phylogeny of the Rare Selangor Mud Snake (Raclitia indica) Gray (Serpentes, Homalopsidae) from Peninsular Malaysia.  Zootaxa. 4514(1); 53–64. DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4514.1.4