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| Oligodon condaoensis Nguyen, Nguyen, Le & Murphy, 2016 |
We describe a new kukri snake, Oligodon condaoensis sp. nov., from Con Dao Islands, southern Vietnam based on the morphological characters of four specimens. It differs from other congeners by a combination of the following characters: medium size in adults (total length up to 552 mm); 17–17–15 dorsal scale rows; deeply forked hemipenes without spines and papillae, extending to subcaudal 13 or 14; 11–13 maxillary teeth, the posterior three being enlarged; cloacal plate undivided; head scalation complete; nasal divided; presubocular absent; 168–176 ventrals; 33–37 subcaudals; overall dorsal coloration dark gray, faint body stripes present or absent; and ventral coloration cream to dark gray without rectangular blotches. We also provide a list of 43 species of amphibians and terrestrial reptiles recorded from Con Dao Islands.
Keywords: Reptilia, Hon Ba, hemipenis, Indochina, maxillary teeth, Oligodon condaoensis sp. nov.
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| Oligodon condaoensis sp. nov. paratype ITBCZ 2597 in life, showing faint dorsal stripes. |
Oligodon condaoensis sp. nov.
Diagnosis. Oligodon condaoensis sp. nov. is distinguished from all of its congeners by a combination of the
following morphological characters: (1) medium size in adults (total length up to 552 mm); (2) dorsal scale rows
17–17–15; (3) deeply forked hemipenes without papillae and spines, extending to SC 13 or 14; (4) maxillary teeth
11–13, the posterior three being enlarged; (5) cloacal plate undivided; (6) head scalation complete; (7) nasal
divided; (8) presubocular absent; (9) ventrals 168–176; (10) subcaudals 33–37; (11) overall dorsal coloration dark
gray, faint body stripes present or absent; (12) venter cream to dark gray without rectangular blotches.
Distribution. The new species is currently known only from Hon Ba Island, Con Dao District, Ba Ria–Vung Tau Prov., Vietnam.
Etymology. The specific epithet condaoensis is derived from Con Dao Islands, where the new species was discovered.
Sang N. Nguyen, Vu D. H. Nguyen, Son H. Le and Robert W. Murphy. 2016. A New Species of Kukri Snake (Squamata: Colubridae: Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826) from Con Dao Islands, southern Vietnam. 4139(2); 261–273. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4139.2.9
http://www.condaopark.com.vn/vnt_upload/news/08_2016/2016_Nguyen_et_al_Oligodon_condaoensis.pdf
