The genus Rhabdophis is a group of widely distributed snakes with more than 20 species.Recent field surveys uncovered a species in southwestern China,which has long been considered as R.pentasupralabialis.Combined mol...The genus Rhabdophis is a group of widely distributed snakes with more than 20 species.Recent field surveys uncovered a species in southwestern China,which has long been considered as R.pentasupralabialis.Combined molecular and morphological analyses revealed it as a new species Rhabdophis chiwen sp.nov.Based on 12 specimens,this new species is distinguished by the following characters:1)dorsal body saddlebrown,dorsal scales typically with black margins forming spots and stripes,the margin of the outer row forming two faint dorsolateral black cross-bars alongside body;2)ventral scales 151–159,the outer margin of ventral scales and several lateral rows of dorsal scales forming ventrolateral longitudinal brownish-red coloration,with faint black spots in the middle of ventral scales;3)a black oblique stripe present below eyes,often with a black spot between the 2 nd and 3 rd supralabial and a black stripe on the 5 th supralabial;4)eyes dark khaki,pupils black;5)infralabials usually 7,the first four in contact with anterior chin-shields;6)temporal scales 1+1;7)dorsal scales in 15 rows,feebly keeled except the outer 1–2 rows;8)anal scale divided;subcaudals 45–59;9)preocular 1 and postoculars 3(occasionally 2);10)body medium-sized(snout-vent length:adult males 404–431 mm,adult females 409–476 mm);11)tail moderate(tail length/total length in adult males 0.205–0.238,in adult females0.172–0.193).With the discovery of this new species,the total number of species in genus Rhabdophis is 28 with 12 th species known to occur in China.展开更多
基金supported by the Biodiversity Survey,Observation and Assessment Programme(2019–2023)of Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China to Li DING and Yanqing WUgrants of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31301882,No.31970423)to Qin Chen+2 种基金Science and Technology Foundation of Sichuan(No.2018SZ0335)to Qin CHEN.Japan-China Joint Research Project(2014–2016)between the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(JSPS)and National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC,31411140033)to Yezhong TANG and Akira MORIJSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP26440213,JP17H03719,and JP18KK0205 to Akira MORI。
文摘The genus Rhabdophis is a group of widely distributed snakes with more than 20 species.Recent field surveys uncovered a species in southwestern China,which has long been considered as R.pentasupralabialis.Combined molecular and morphological analyses revealed it as a new species Rhabdophis chiwen sp.nov.Based on 12 specimens,this new species is distinguished by the following characters:1)dorsal body saddlebrown,dorsal scales typically with black margins forming spots and stripes,the margin of the outer row forming two faint dorsolateral black cross-bars alongside body;2)ventral scales 151–159,the outer margin of ventral scales and several lateral rows of dorsal scales forming ventrolateral longitudinal brownish-red coloration,with faint black spots in the middle of ventral scales;3)a black oblique stripe present below eyes,often with a black spot between the 2 nd and 3 rd supralabial and a black stripe on the 5 th supralabial;4)eyes dark khaki,pupils black;5)infralabials usually 7,the first four in contact with anterior chin-shields;6)temporal scales 1+1;7)dorsal scales in 15 rows,feebly keeled except the outer 1–2 rows;8)anal scale divided;subcaudals 45–59;9)preocular 1 and postoculars 3(occasionally 2);10)body medium-sized(snout-vent length:adult males 404–431 mm,adult females 409–476 mm);11)tail moderate(tail length/total length in adult males 0.205–0.238,in adult females0.172–0.193).With the discovery of this new species,the total number of species in genus Rhabdophis is 28 with 12 th species known to occur in China.
