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Issue: Vol. 4674 No. 1: 23 Sept. 2019
Type: Article
Published: 2019-09-23
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4674.1.3
Page range: 68–82
Abstract views: 166
PDF downloaded: 3

A new species of the genus Hebius (Squamata: Colubridae: Natricinae) from Hunan Province, China

College of Wildlife Resources, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China. Institute of herpetology, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang 110034, China. Experimental Center, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang 110034, China.
College of Wildlife Resources, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China. Jiangxi Academy of Forestry, Nanchang, 330013, China.
Institute of herpetology, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang 110034, China.
Institute of herpetology, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang 110034, China.
State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol/The Museum of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol/The Museum of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
Institute of herpetology, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang 110034, China.
College of Wildlife Resources, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
Reptilia Hebius sangzhiensis sp. nov. Natricinae new species taxonomy

Abstract

A new snake species of the genus Hebius is described on the basis of three specimens from Hunan Province, China. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a significant genetic divergence of 6.1%–12.9% of the mitochondrial cytb gene and a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) tail long, approximately 25% of the total length; (2) dorsal scale rows 19-19-17, vertebral scales enlarged, smooth, 2nd–10th rows distinctly keeled; (3) anterior temporals 2, preocular 1, postoculars 3; (4) ventrals 160–164; (5) internasals narrowed anteriorly; (6) a pair of occipital spots and a pale postparietal streak; (7) a pale brown or beige dorsolateral stripe on the 4th–6th scale rows; (8) ventral scales brick-red at their outer border, with a row of well-defined dark blotches; (9) maxillary teeth 21, gradually enlarged, followed by 2 moderately enlarged posterior teeth, without diastema; (10) nostrils lateral.

 

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