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| Gloydius variegatus Ren, Huang, Wu, Jiang & Li, 2024 |
Abstract
The Hengduan Mountains Region (HMR) in China, a globally significant biodiversity hotspot, has garnered attention for its potential to harbor cryptic species within the Asian pit viper genus Gloydius Hoge & Romano-Hoge, 1981. Based on comprehensive morphological comparisons and molecular phylogenetic analysis of the Gloydius strauchi complex, this study identified a previously unrecognized species of Asian pit viper. Discovered in the upper Lancang (Mekong) hot dry valley of Xizang, China, this species is geographically proximate to G. huangi but exhibits clear morphological distinctions from other members of the genus, representing the second Gloydius species identified along the upper Lancang River. We describe here this new species and highlight the significance of skull and hemipenis morphology, which were instrumental in its diagnosis and in resolving taxonomic boundaries and ambiguities within the G. strauchi complex. This study provides insights into the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of this newly described species, enhancing our understanding of diversification patterns in this genus.
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| Color of Gloydius variegatus sp. nov. holotype in life, CIB 121711, adult female, from Qamdo, Xizang, China. A: Dorsolateral view; B: Dorsal head view; C: Left side of head view; D: Lateral side of body view. Photos by Jinlong REN. |
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| Color of Gloydius variegatus sp. nov. showing color of paratype in life, CIB 121712, adult male, from Qamdo, Xizang, China. A: Dorsolateral view; B: Dorsal head view; C: Left side of head view; D: Lateral side of body view. Photos by Jinlong REN. |
Gloydius variegatus sp. nov.
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| Comparison of type series of Gloydius variegatus sp. nov. showing color polymorphism. A: Holotype, CIB 121711, adult female; B: Paratype, CIB 121712, adult male. Arrows indicate eye stripes. Photos by Jinlong REN. |
Jin-Long Ren, Jun-Jie Huang, Wei Wu, Ke Jiang and Jia-tang Li. 2024. One mountain, Two tigers: A New Species of Gloydius (Serpentes: Viperidae) from the upper Lancang Valley in Xizang, China, with comments on the diagnostic characters and evolution of the G. strauchi (Bedriaga, 1912) species complex. Asian Herpetological Research. DOI: doi.org/10.3724/ahr.2095-0357.2024.0059
