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Issue: Vol. 5748 No. 4: 15 Jan. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-01-15
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.2
Page range: 480-498
Abstract views: 13
PDF downloaded: 0

A new snake of the genus Hebius (Serpentes: Natricidae) from the Ngoc Linh Mountain Range, Vietnam

Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain; Kunming Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming 650201; China; Kunming College of Life Science; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming 650204; China; Institute of Life Sciences; Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology; 85 Tran Quoc Toan St.; Dist. 3; Ho Chi Minh City; Vietnam
Institute of Life Sciences; Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology; 85 Tran Quoc Toan St.; Dist. 3; Ho Chi Minh City; Vietnam
Asian Turtle Program of Indo-Myanmar Conservation; No. 1806; C14 Bac Ha Building; To Huu St.; Tu Liem Dist.; Hanoi; Vietnam
Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology; Royal Ontario Museum; Toronto; Ontario M5S2C6; Canada
Institute of Life Sciences; Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology; 85 Tran Quoc Toan St.; Dist. 3; Ho Chi Minh City; Vietnam
Institute of Life Sciences; Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology; 85 Tran Quoc Toan St.; Dist. 3; Ho Chi Minh City; Vietnam; Graduate University of Science and Technology; Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology; 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road; Hanoi; Vietnam
Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain; Kunming Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming 650201; China; Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Yezin; Nay Pyi Taw 05282; Myanmar
Reptilia Central highlands of Vietnam Hebius ngoclinhensis sp. nov. keelback snakes mitochondrial DNA taxonomy

Abstract

We describe a new keelback snake of the genus Hebius from the Ngoc Linh Mountain Range, Central Highlands, Vietnam, based on morphological characters and molecular evidence (Cytb). Hebius ngoclinhensis sp. nov. is diagnosed by the following combination of morphological features: dorsal scale rows 19-19-17; first dorsal scale row smooth; ventrals 143–148; subcaudals 95–97, paired; two preoculars; two or three postoculars; one loreal; eight or nine supralabials; ten infralabials; cloacal plate divided; maxillary teeth 24–26, gradually enlarged, with two distinctly enlarged teeth posteriorly; 17 keeled dorsal scale rows at midbody; dorsal surface of body and tail dark brown with numerous irregular dark yellow spots; a distinct reddish-brown dorsolateral stripe on the 4th–7th dorsal scale rows on each side; ventral surface of body and tail reddish-orange to orange; and lateral margins of ventrals and subcaudals dark brown. In addition, the new species differs from its congeners by an uncorrected p-distance in Cytb sequences of at least 9.3%.

 

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How to Cite

Le, M.V., Phan, K.D., Nguyen, T.L., Murphy, R.W., Lam, N.Q., Nguyen, S.N. & Che, J. (2026) A new snake of the genus Hebius (Serpentes: Natricidae) from the Ngoc Linh Mountain Range, Vietnam. Zootaxa, 5748 (4), 480–498. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.2