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| Hebius sangzhiensis Zhou, Qi, Lu, Lyu & Li in Zhou, Sun, Qi, et al., 2019. |
Abstract
A new snake species of the genus Hebius is described on the basis of three specimens from Hunan Province, China. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a significant genetic divergence of 6.1%–12.9% of the mitochondrial cytb gene and a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) tail long, approximately 25% of the total length; (2) dorsal scale rows 19-19-17, vertebral scales enlarged, smooth, 2nd–10th rows distinctly keeled; (3) anterior temporals 2, preocular 1, postoculars 3; (4) ventrals 160–164; (5) internasals narrowed anteriorly; (6) a pair of occipital spots and a pale postparietal streak; (7) a pale brown or beige dorsolateral stripe on the 4th–6th scale rows; (8) ventral scales brick-red at their outer border, with a row of well-defined dark blotches; (9) maxillary teeth 21, gradually enlarged, followed by 2 moderately enlarged posterior teeth, without diastema; (10) nostrils lateral.
Keywords: Reptilia, Hebius sangzhiensis sp. nov., Natricinae, new species, taxonomy
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| Hebius sangzhiensis sp. nov., General view of the holotype (SYNU 08070350) in life.
Photo by Z.Y. Zhou.
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Hebius sangzhiensis sp. nov. Zhou, Qi, Lu, Lyu & Li
Etymology. The specific epithet sangzhiensis refers to the type locality, Sangzhi County, Hunan Province,
China. We suggest the common name as the “Sangzhi Keelback Snake”, and the Chinese formal name as “sâng zhí
fù liàn shé ” (桑植腹链蛇).
Zhengyan Zhou, Zhiyong Sun, Shuo Qi, Yuyan Lu, Zhitong Lyu, Yingyong Wang, Pipeng Li and Jianzhang Ma. 2019. A New Species of the Genus Hebius (Squamata: Colubridae: Natricinae) from Hunan Province, China. Zootaxa. 4674(1); 68–82. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4674.1.3