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| Lycodon poyarkovi Nguyen & Vogel, 2025 Poyarkov’s Big-tooth Snake | DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5570.3.3 Rắn khuyết Trường sơn || facebook.con: Nguyen Van Tan |
Abstract
A new species of the genus Lycodon is described based on four specimens collected from the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Dong Chau-Khe Nuoc Trong Nature Reserve, Quang Binh Province, Central Vietnam. Lycodon poyarkovi sp. nov. is superficially similar to L. paucifasciatus Rendahl in Smith, but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: higher number of ventral scales in males, higher number of subcaudal scales in females, higher number of crossbands on body and tail, by having a lower number of ventral scales before the first crossband starts, and by having lower numbers of vertebrals covered by the first crossband. The new species seems to be endemic to the northern part of Truong Son Mountains, the Ben Hai River, which is considered an important biogeographic barrier between Lycodon poyarkovi sp. nov. and L. paucifasciatus. We suggest that the new species should be considered as Least Concerned (LC) following the IUCN’s Red List categories. Further studies reassessing the taxonomic status of Lycodon anakradaya and L. cardamomensis are required.
Reptilia, Indochina, new species, morphology, taxonomy, Lycodon paucifasciatus complex group
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| Figure 6. Photos in life of Lycodon poyarkovi sp. nov. in Quang Binh, Vietnam – from Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP (A-E); from Dong Chau-Ke Nuoc Trong NR (F-H). Photos by: (A-B) reproduced from Vogel et al. (2009); (C) T.N. Vu; (D) reproduced from Luo et al. (2010); (E) L.P. Tran; (F) T.Q. Phan; and (G-H) N.V. Ha. |
Lycodon poyarkovi sp. nov.
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| Distribution ranges of the Lycodon paucifasciatus species complex in Indochina and China. Notes: Stars indicate the type localities of species; numbers indicate different localities where the species have been recorded (see Appendix III for the details of localities). |
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| Photos in life of Lycodon paucifasciatus species complex and L. rufozonatus: – L. anakradaya in Khanh Vinh, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam (A); – L. cardamomensis in Cardamom Mt., Pursat, Cambodia (B); in Khao Wong NP, Rayong, Thailand (C); Song Hinh, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam (D) – L. paucifasciatus in Bach Ma NP, Phong Dien NR, Sao La NR, Thua Thien-Hue, Vietnam (E, F, G, respectively); – L. gibsonae in Khao Yai NP, Prachinburi, Thailand (H) – L. rosozonatus in Wuzhi Mt., Hainan, China (J) – L. rufozonatus in Chengdu, Sichuan, China (K); in Taiwan, China (L); Miyako, Okinawa, Yaeyama, Japan (M). Photos by (A) reproduced from Nguyen et al. (2022a); (B) J.C. Daltry; (C, H) P. Pawangkhanant; (D) reproduced from Do et al. (2017); (E) L.C. Tran; (F) B.V. Nguyen; (G): N.A. Poyarkov; (J) G. Fan; and (K, L. M) G. Vogel. |
Tan Van NGUYEN and Gernot VOGEL. 2025. A New Species of Lycodon Fitzinger, 1826 from the Northern part of the Truong Son Mountains, Central Vietnam (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae). Zootaxa. 5570(3); 484-510. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5570.3.3
