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| Hebius sangzhiensis Zhou, Sun, Qi, Lu, Lyu, Wang, Li & Ma, 2019 |
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.
Keywords: Reptilia, Hebius sangzhiensis sp. nov., Natricinae, new species, taxonomy
Zhengyan Zhou, Zhiyong Sun, Shuo Qi, Yuyan Lu, Zhitong Lyu, Yingyong Wang, Pipeng Li and Jianzhang Ma. 2019. A New Species of the Genus Hebius (Squamata: Colubridae: Natricinae) from Hunan Province, China. Zootaxa. 4674(1); 68–82. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4674.1.3
