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| Trimeresurus guoi Chen, Shi, Vogel & Ding, in Chen, Shi, Gao, Vogel, Song, Li Ding et Dai, 2021. |
Abstract:
The pit vipers of the genus Trimeresurus Lacépède, 1804 is one of the largest groups of Asian snakes, distributed from India to China and Indonesia. Recent surveys in Jiangcheng and Simao, Yunnan Province, China resulted in a new species previously allocated to T. albolabris. Combining morphological and molecular data, we describe it as Trimeresurus guoi sp. nov. The new species morphologically differs from T. albolabris in the yellow green ventral color; an indistinct ventrolateral line; the absence of a postocular stripe; the firebrick-red iris; a dark red stripe on dorsal tail; hemipenes with relatively weak sparse papillae, reaching 23rd subcaudal when unextruded. Molecularly, the new species forms a clearly divergent lineage (BPP 1.00/ UFB 100). Uncorrected pairwise distances of mitochondrial gene Cyt b between the new species and other known species of the subgenus Trimeresurus range from 0.052 (T. albolabris) to 0.071 (T. insularis).
Keywords: morphology; phylogenetics; taxonomy; Trimeresurus
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| Comparison of coloration between Trimeresurus guoi sp. nov. (Left) and T. albolabris (Right). A and B: Different body pattern (yellow green vs. multicolor) in female; C and D: Different ventrolateral line (absent vs. present) and postocular stripe (absent vs. present) in male; E and F: Different ventral (yellow green vs. yellow). Specimens of T. albolabris compared were colleted from Guanghzou, Guangdong Province, China. Photographed by Shengchao SHI except B by Liang ZHANG. |
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| Comparison in head scales and coloration between Trimeresurus guoi sp. nov. and T. albolabris. Left, doral view of head; right, lateral view of head. A, B, female of T. guoi sp. nov.; C, D, female of T. albolaris; E, F, male of T. guoi sp. nov.; G, H, male of T. albolaris. A, C, E and G: Different head shape (more elongated skull in new species) in both genders; B and D: Different iris color (firebrick-red vs. copper) in female; F and H: Different iris color (firebrick-red vs. copper) and postocular stripe (absent vs. present) in male. Specimens of T. albolabris compared were colleted from Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. Photographed by Shengchao SHI except D by Liang ZHANG. |
Trimeresurus guoi sp. nov. Chen, Shi, Vogel, and Ding
Diagnosis. (1) Dorsal body jungle-green with faint transverse dark bands on skin, ventral body yellow green. (2) Lateral head jungle-green above lower margin of eyes, and green yellow below, without postocular stripes. (3) Ventrolateral line of male yellow-green, narrow, only present on outermost row of dorsal scales. (4) Iris firebrick-red in both sexes. (5) First supralabial fused with nasal. (6) Head scales feebly keeled; dorsal scale row 23-21-15 (N = 10), feebly keeled except the outermost rows; ventral scale 154–163 in males (N = 6), 158–160 in females (N = 3); subcaudal scale 58–72 in males (N = 7), 52–59 in females (N = 3). (7) Hemipenes long, reaching 23rd/32nd subcaudals when unextruded/extruded, papillae relatively weak and sparse.
Etymology. The specific name is in honor of Dr. Peng Guo (Sichuan, China), the first researcher on the taxonomy and systematics of the genus Trimeresurus sensu lato through molecular analysis in China. We suggest the following common names as “Guo’s green pit viper” in English and “Diān Nán Zhú Yè Qīng (滇南竹叶青 )” in Chinese.
งูเขียวหางไหม้ท้องเหลืองตาแดง
Zening CHEN, Shengchao SHI, Jun GAO, Gernot VOGEL, Zhaobin SONG, Li DING and Rong DAI. 2021. A New Species of Trimeresurus Lacépède, 1804 (Squamata: Viperidae) from Southwestern China, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar. Asian Herpetological Research. 11(4); 1-11. DOI: 10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.200084