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Issue: Vol. 5270 No. 1: 19 Apr. 2023
Type: Article
Published: 2023-04-19
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5270.1.2
Page range: 48-66
Abstract views: 505
PDF downloaded: 31

Achalinus quangi, a new odd-scaled snake species from Vietnam

Faculty of Environmental Sciences; University of Science; Vietnam National University; Hanoi; 334 Nguyen Trai Road; Hanoi; Vietnam; Center for Biodiversity & Environment Research; Tay Bac University; Son La City; Son La Province; Vietnam
Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources; Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology; 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road; Hanoi 10072; Vietnam; Graduate University of Science and Technology; Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology; 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road; Cau Giay; Hanoi 10072; Vietnam
Faculty of Environmental Sciences; University of Science; Vietnam National University; Hanoi; 334 Nguyen Trai Road; Hanoi; Vietnam; Central Institute for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies; Vietnam National University; 19 Le Thanh Tong; Hanoi; Vietnam; Department of Herpetology; American Museum of Natural History; Central Park West at 79 Street; New York; New York 10024; USA
Central Institute for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies; Vietnam National University; 19 Le Thanh Tong; Hanoi; Vietnam; AG Zoologischer Garten Köln; Riehler Strasse 173; D–50735 Cologne; Germany
Department of Zoology; Vinh University; 182 Le Duan Road. Vinh City; Nghe An Province; Vietnam
Institute of Zoology; AG Zoologischer Garten Köln; Riehler Strasse 173; D–50735 Cologne; Germany; University of Cologne; Zülpicher Strasse 47b; D–50674 Cologne; Germany
Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources; Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology; 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road; Hanoi 10072; Vietnam; Graduate University of Science and Technology; Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology; 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road; Cau Giay; Hanoi 10072; Vietnam
Reptilia Achalinus COI Cyt b morphology taxonomy Da River

Abstract

Based on morphological and molecular analyses, we herein describe a new species of Achalinus from northern Vietnam. Achalinus quangi sp. nov. differs from its sister taxon, A. emilyae, and other members of the genus Achalinus by at least 4% in terms of genetic divergence based on fragments of the mitochondrial COI and Cytb genes and a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) maxillary teeth 27–29; (2) suture between the internasals distinctly longer than that between the prefrontals; (3) loreal not fused with prefrontal, extending from the nasal to the eye; (4) supralabials six; (5) infralabials five; (6) postocular absent, temporals 2+2, only the upper one in broad contact with eye; (7) dorsal scales in 25(23)–23–23(21) rows, keeled; (8) ventrals 139–141 in males, 141–154 in females; (9) subcaudals 75–84 in males, 69 in the female, all unpaired; (10) cloacal entire; (11) dorsum reddish brown to brown. Achalinus quangi sp. nov. consists of two subclades, the first one occurring on the northern side of the Da River in Son La and Tuyen Quang provinces and another subclade found on the southern side in Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh provinces. These two subclades are separated from each other by 1.8 to 2.3% genetic divergence and are slightly differing in ventral scalation.

 

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