Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2022-09-27
Page range: 127-140
Abstract views: 756
PDF downloaded: 43

A new species of the genus Achalinus (Squamata: Xenodermidae) from Ningshan County, Shaanxi Province, China

Anhui Province Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resource, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China. 2 Huangshan Noah Biodiversity Institute, Huangshan 245000, China.
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resource, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China. 2 Huangshan Noah Biodiversity Institute, Huangshan 245000, China. Shanghai Collaborative Innovation for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
Department of Herpetology, The American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York NY 10024, USA.
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resource, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China. 2 Huangshan Noah Biodiversity Institute, Huangshan 245000, China.
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resource, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China. 2 Huangshan Noah Biodiversity Institute, Huangshan 245000, China.
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resource, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China. 2 Huangshan Noah Biodiversity Institute, Huangshan 245000, China.
Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resource, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China. 2 Huangshan Noah Biodiversity Institute, Huangshan 245000, China.
Reptilia Achalinus ningshanensis sp. nov. Ningshan County morphology molecular phylogeny taxonomy

Abstract

A new species of odd-scaled snake in the genus Achalinus is described from Ningshan County, Shaanxi Province, China, based on seven female specimens. Morphologically, the new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) dorsum iridescent and uniformly dark brown in preservative, longitudinal vertebral line absent; (2) light brown beneath; (3) dotted black streak in the middle of the subcaudals absent; (4) tail length relatively short, TaL/ToL 12–16%, in females; (5) fewer subcaudals, 41–46 in females; (6) dorsal scales 23 rows throughout, strongly keeled; the outer-most rows on both sides are also keeled and slightly enlarged; (7) one loreal; (8) internasal not fused to prefrontal; (9) suture between internasals is similar in size when compared to the suture between prefrontals; (10) preocular and postocular absent; (11) 6 supralabials; (12) 5 infralabials, the first 3 (rarely 2) touching the first pair of chin shields; (13) 3 pairs of chin shields. A phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial gene, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1), showed that this new species forms a monophyletic group with strong support. In addition, the uncorrected p-distances between the new species and other known congeners ranged from 3.4% to 13.0%. The recognition of the new species increases the number of described Achalinus species to 21.

 

References

  1. Boulenger, G.A. (1888) Description of two new snakes from Hong kong, and note on the dentition of Hydrophis viperina. Annals & Magazine of Natural History, Series 6, 7 (2), 43−45. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222938809460874
    Boulenger, G.A. (1908) Description of a new frog and a new snake from Formosa. Annals & Magazine of Natural History, 8 (2), 221–222. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222930808692472
    Bourret, R.L. (1935) Notes herpétologiques sur l’Indochine française. VIII. Sur les Achalinus d’Indochine. Bulletin Générale de l’Instruction Publique, Hanoi, 15 (5), 101–104.
    Bourret, R.L. (1937) Notes herpétologiques sur l Indochine française. XV. Lézards et serpents reçus au Laboratoire des Sciences Naturelles de l’ Université au cours de l’ année 1937. Descriptions de deux espèces et de deux variétés nouvelles. Bulletin général de l Instruction Publique, Hanoi, 17 (4), 57–80.
    Burbrink, F.T., Grazziotin, F.G., Pyron, R.A., Cundall, D., Donnellan, S., Irish, F., Keogh, J.S., Kraus, F., Murphy, R.W., Noonan, B., Raxworthy, C.J., Ruane, S., Lemmon, A.R., Lemmon, E.M. & Zaher, H. (2020). Interrogating genomic-scale data for Squamata (lizards, snakes, and amphisbaenians) shows no support for key traditional morphological relationships. Systematic Biology, 69 (3), 502–520. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syz062
    Hou, S.B., Wang, K., Guo, P., Chen, J.M., Yuan, Z.Y. & Che, J. (2021) Two new species and a new country record of the genus Achalinus (Reptilia: Squamata: Xenodermidae) from China. Zootaxa, 4950 (3), 528–546. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4950.3.6
    Hu, S.Q. & Zhao, E.M. (1966) Three new species of reptiles from Szechwan. Acta Zootaxon Sinica, 3 (2), 158−164. [In Chinese with English abstract]
    Hu, S.Q., Zhao, E.M. & Huang, Z.J. (1975) Three new species of reptiles from Hainan Island, Guangdong Province. Acta Zootaxon Sinica, 21 (4), 379–385 [in Chinese with English abstract]
    Huang, R.Y., Peng, L.F., Yu, L., Huang, T.Q., Jiang, K., Ding, L., Chang, J.K., Yang, D.C., Xu, Y.H. & Huang, S. (2021) A New Species of the Genus Achalinus from Huangshan, Anhui, China (Squamata: Xenodermidae). Asian Herpetological Research, 12 (2),178–187. https://doi.org/10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.200075
    Kumar, S., Stecher, G. & Tamura, K. (2016) MEGA7: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis version 7.0 for bigger datasets. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 33, 1870–1874. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msw054
    Lalronunga, S., Lalhmangaiha, K., Zosangliana, I., Lalhmingliani, E. Gower, D.J., Das, A. & Deepak, V. (2021) A new species of Stoliczkia Jerdon, 1870 (Serpentes: Xenodermidae) from Mizoram, India. Zootaxa, 4996 (3), 569–580. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4996.3.9
    Li, J.N., Liang, D., Wang, Y.Y., Guo, P., Huang, S. & Zhang, P. (2020) A large-scale systematic framework of Chinese snakes based on a unified multilocus marker system. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 148, 106807. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106807
    Li, K., Wu, Y.Y., Xu, R.Y., Zhu, F., Ren, J.L., Guo, P. & Dong, B.J. (2021) A new species of the Achalinus rufescens complex (Xenodermidae: Achalinus) from Fujian Province, China. Zootaxa, 5026 (2), 239–254. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5026.2.5
    Li, K., Yu, M., Wu, Y.Y., Liao, L.H., Tang, K., Liu, Q. & Guo, P. (2020) A new species of the genus Achalinus (Squamata: Xenodermatidae) from southeastern Yunnan Province, China. Zootaxa, 4860 (1), 116–128. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4860.1.6
    Luu, V.Q., Ziegler, T., Van Ha, N., Van Lo, O., Hoang, T.T., Ngo, H.T., Le, M.D., Tran, D.H. & Nguyen, T.Q. (2020) A new species of Achalinus (Squamata: Xenodermidae) from Trang An Landscape Complex, Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam. Zootaxa, 4877 (1), 174–184. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4877.1.8
    Meyer, C.P., Geller, J.B. & Paulay, G. (2005) Fine scale endemism on coral reefs: archipelagic differentiation in turbinid gastropods. Evolution, 59 (1), 113–125. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0014-3820.2005.tb00899.x
    Miller, A.H., Davis, H.R., Luong, A.M., Do, Q.H., Pham, C.T., Ziegler, T., Lee, J.L., Queiroz, K.D., Reynolds, R.G. & Nguyen, T.Q. (2020) Discovery of a New Species of Enigmatic Odd-Scaled Snake (Serpentes: Xenodermidae: Achalinus) from Ha Giang Province, Vietnam. Copeia, 108 (4), 796–808. https://doi.org/10.1643/CH2020060
    Ota, H. & Toyama, M. (1989) Taxonomic re-definition of Achalinus formosanus Boulenger (Xenoderminae: Colubridae: Ophidia), with description of a new subspecies. Copeia, 1989, 597–602. https://doi.org/10.2307/1445485
    Peters, W.C.H. (1869) Nachtrag zu Über neue Gattungen und neue oder weniger bekannte Arten von Amphibien (Eremias, Dicrodon, Euprepes, Lygosoma, Typhlops, Eryx, Rhynchonyx, Elapomorphus, Achalinus, Coronella, Dromicus, Xenopholis, Anoplodipsas, Spilotes, Tropidonotus). Monatsberichte der königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, 1869, 445–447.
    Pope, C.H. (1935) The Reptiles of China. Turtles, crocodilians, snakes, lizards. Natural History of central Asia. Vol. X. American Museum of Natural History, New York, 604 pp.
    Pyron, R.A., Burbrink, F.T. & Wiens, J.J. (2013). A phylogeny and revised classification of Squamata, including 4161 species of lizards and snakes. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 13, 1–53. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-13-93
    Qi, S., Shi, J.S., Ma, Y.B., Gao, Y.F., Bu, S.H., Grismer, L.L., Li, P.P. & Wang, Y.Y. (2021) A sheep in wolf's clothing: Elaphe xiphodonta sp. nov.(Squamata, Colubridae) and its possible mimicry to Protobothrops jerdonii. ZooKeys 1048, 23–47. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1048.65650
    Smith, E.N. & Campbell, J.A. (1994) A new species of Rhadinaea (Colubridae) from the Caribbean versant of Guatemala. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural History of the University of Kansas, 167, 1–9.
    Smith, E.N., Arachchi, K.M. & Somaweera, R. (2008) A new species of coralsnake of the genus Calliophis (Squamata: Elapidae) from the Central Province of Sri Lanka. Zootaxa, 1847 (1), 19–33. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1847.1.2
    Stamatakis, A., Hoover, P. & Rougemont, J. (2008) A rapid bootstrap algorithm for the RAxML web-servers. Systematic Biology, 57 (5), 758–771. https://doi.org/10.1080/10635150802429642
    Van Denburgh, J. (1912) Concerning certain species of reptiles and amphibians from China, Japan, the Loo Choo Islands, and Formosa. Proceedings of The California Academy of Sciences, 3, 187−258.
    Vogel, G. & David, P. (2010) A new species of the genus Lycodon (Boie, 1826) from Yunnan Province, China (Serpentes: Colubridae). Bonn Zoological Bulletin, 57(2): 289–296.
    Vogel, G. & Luo, J. (2011) A new species of the genus Lycodon (Boie, 1826) from the southwestern mountains of China (Squamata: Colubridae). Zootaxa, 2807: 29–40. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2807.1.2
    Wang, G.L., He, S.P., Huang, S., He, M. & Zhao, E.M. (2009) The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence and the phylogenetic position of Achalinus meiguensis (Reptilia: Squamata). Chinese Science Bulletin, 54 (10), 1713–1724. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-009-0160-0
    Wang, J., Li, Y., Zeng, Z.C., Lyu, Z.T., Sung, Y.H., Li, Y.Y., Lin, C.Y. & Wang, Y.Y. (2019) A new species of the genus Achalinus from southwestern Guangdong Province, China (Squamata: Xenodermatidae). Zootaxa, 4674 (4), 471–481. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4674.4.6
    Zaher, H., Murphy, R.W., Arredondo, J.C., Graboski, R., M.F., P. R., Mahlow, K., Montingelli, G.G., Quadros, A.B., Orlov, N.L., Wilkinson, M., Zhang, Y.P. & Grazziotin, F.G. (2019) Large-scale molecular phylogeny, morphology, divergence-time estimation, and the fossil record of advanced caenophidian snakes (Squamata: Serpentes). Plos one, 14 (5), e0216148. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216148
    Zhang, R.Z. (1999) Zoogeography of China. Science Press, Beijing, 502 pp. [In Chinese]
    Zhao, E.M. (2006) Snakes of China. Anhui Science and Technology Publishing House, Hefei, 157–158 pp. [in Chinese]
    Zhao, E.M., Huang, M.H. & Zong, Y. (1998) Fauna Sinica: Reptilia. Vol. 3. Squamata, Serpentes. Science Press, Beijing, 44–48 pp. [in Chinese]
    Ziegler, T., Nguyen, T.Q., Pham, C.T., Nguyen, T.T., Pham, A.V., Schingen, V.S., Nguyen, T.T. & Le, M.D. (2019) Three new species of the snake genus Achalinus from Vietnam (Squamata: Xenodermatidae). Zootaxa, 4590 (2), 249–269. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4590.2.3
    Zong, Y. & Ma, J. (1983) A new species of the genus Achalinopsis from Jiangxi and the restoration of this genus. Acta Herpetologica Sinica, 2 (2), 61–63. [in Chinese]