A New Species of the Genus <i>Achalinus</i> (Squamata: Xenodermidae) from the Dabie Mountains, Anhui, China
2023
Caiwen Zhang | Kai Liu | Ruyi Huang | Tingli Hu | Lei Yu | Ruolei Sun | Yucai Zhang | Jing Wen | Baowei Zhang
A new species of Xenodermid snake, <i>Achalinus dabieshanensis</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, was described based on three specimens (two female and one male) collected from the Dabie Mountains of western Anhui Province. It can be distinguished from known congeners by a significant genetic divergence in the mitochondrial gene fragment COI (<i>p</i>-distance ≥ 9.4%) and the following combination of characteristics: (1) length of the suture between the internasals being distinctly shorter than between the prefrontals; (2) a single loreal; (3) dorsal scales strongly keeled, in 23 rows throughout the body; (4) two pairs of prefrontals; (5) six supralabials; (6) five infralabials; (7) temporals 2 + 2 + 3 (or 2 + 2 + 4); (8) 141–155 ventrals; (9) 45–55 subcaudals, unpaired; (10) anal entire; (11) weakly iridescent tinged, uniform, brown to black dorsum with vertebral scales and about three adjacent dorsal scales dark brown forming a longitudinal vertebral line from posterior margin of parietals to tail tip; (12) light brown venter, ventral shields wide, visible on both sides, light brown flanks, giving the appearance of a black subcaudal streak. The recognition of the new species increases the number of described <i>Achalinus</i> species to 22.
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