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| Calamaria similis Qi, Nguyen, Yang, Xu, David, Shi, Liu, Rong, Korolev, Poyarkov & Wang, 2026 |
Abstract
Calamaria pavimentata Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 was originally described from Java Island, Indonesia, yet specimens from southern China, particularly Guangxi, have long been referred to this species based on general morphological resemblance. Herein, the taxonomic status of Chinese populations previously referred to as Calamaria pavimentata is re-evaluated using an integrative approach combining morphological data and mitochondrial DNA analyses, based on four specimens from Yangjiang City, Guangdong Province, and Chongzuo City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Phylogenetic analyses recover the Chinese specimens as a distinct and well-supported lineage within Calamaria. Notably, the Guangdong and Guangxi populations exhibit a relatively high intraspecific mitochondrial divergence (uncorrected p-distance = 10.78% based on the cytochrome b gene), despite the absence of consistent diagnostic morphological differences. Although mitochondrial DNA data from topotypic C. pavimentata, are currently unavailable, the observed morphological differences, together with the pronounced geographic disjunction between Java and southern China, support the recognition of the Chinese population as a distinct species, herein described as Calamaria similis sp. nov. from Guangdong and Guangxi, China. Detailed morphological examinations reveal that Calamaria similis sp. nov. differs from C. pavimentata and all of its currently recognized synonyms by having higher ventral scale counts in females, fewer subcaudal scales in males (but slightly more in females), a smaller maximum total length in males, and a shorter relative tail length in both sexes. Our results highlight the need for renewed field surveys in Java Island, Indonesia to rediscover C. pavimentata sensu stricto, and emphasize that other populations previously identified as C. pavimentata should be re-evaluated using integrative taxonomic approaches.
Key words: Calamaria similis sp. nov., Guangdong, Guangxi, integrative taxonomy, morphology, mtDNA, species complex
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| Calamaria similis sp. nov., adult male (SYS r001816, holotype) in preserved. A. Dorsal view of body; B. Ventral view of body; C. Dorsal view of head; D. Ventral view of head; E. Lateral view of head, right side; F. Dorsal view of tail (posterior body). Photographs by Shuo Qi. |
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| Calamaria similis sp. nov., in life, from Yangchun, Yangjiang, Guangdong, China. A–C. Adult male (SYS r001816, holotype); A. Dorsal view of body; B. Anterior view of body; C. Ventral view of body; D–H. Not collected, sex undetermined; D. Dorsal view of body; E. Anterolateral view of body; F. Dorsal view of tail; G. Ventral view of head; H. Ventral view of body (cloacal region). Photographs by Jing-Jian Liu. |
Calamaria similis sp. nov.
Etymology. The specific epithet similis is a Latin adjective meaning similar, referring to the strong morphological resemblance of this species to Calamaria pavimentata. This similarity has resulted in the species being previously misidentified and treated as C. pavimentata in numerous earlier studies (e.g., Yang and Zheng 2018).
We propose the following common names for the new species: “Similar Reed Snake” (English), “拟尖尾两头蛇” (nĬ jiān wěi liăng tóu shé, Chinese), “Rắn mai gầm tương đồng” (Vietnamese), and “Сходная карликовая змея” (Skhodnaya karlikovaya zmeya, Russian).
Shuo Qi, Tan Van Nguyen, Jian-Huan Yang, Yu-Hao Xu, Patrick David, Jing-Song Shi, Jing-Jian Liu, Can-Zhong Rong, Alexey M. Korolev, Nikolay A. Poyarkov and Ying-Yong Wang. 2026. A New Species of Calamaria (Squamata, Calamariidae) from southern China, previously confused with Calamaria pavimentata Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854. ZooKeys. 1277: 245-280. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1277.187107 [17 Apr 2026]
