Hebius optatus (HU & ZHAO, 1966)
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Hebius optatus
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| Higher Taxa | Colubridae (Natricinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Mount Omei Keelback Chinese: 丽纹腹链蛇 |
| Synonym | Natrix optata HU & ZHAO 1966: 75 Amphiesma optatum HU & ZHAO 1966: 76 Amphiesma optata — ZHAO & JIANG 1986 Amphiesma optatum — DAVID et al. 1998 Amphiesma optata — ORLOV et al. 2003 Amphiesma optatum — DAVID et al. 2007 Hebius optatum — GUO et al. 2014 Amphiesma optatum — WALLACH et al. 2014: 32 Hebius optatus — ZHOU et al. 2019 |
| Distribution | Vietnam, SW China (eastward to Hunan and southward to Guangxi) Type locality: Liangfeng Gang, Mt. Omei, Sichuan Prov.: 700 m elevation. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: CIB 008397 (was: CIB Chuan 3624), male; Coll. C. C Liu; 8. 9, 1940. PARATYPES: Six males, four females and two juveniles, all from Mt. Omei, Szechwan, 1956 to 1960. |
| Diagnosis | DIAGNOSIS: “Closely allied to Natrix himalayana (Guenther) and N. pryeri (Boulenger), but differing from the latter two species by having 159—162 ventrals and 95-110 pairs of subcaudals, and 9-15 median rows of the dorsal scales of mid-body feebly keeled. N. himalayana possesses 79-95 pairs of subcaudals, having all the dorsal scales except those of the outermost row strongly keeled, while N. pryeri has 170-187 ventrals, with all the dorsal scales strongly keeled. The characteristic color pattern of this new species also differs from that of the two other species mentioned above.” (Hu & Zhao 1966) |
| Comment | Not listed, at least as such, in the Zoological Record of 1966. |
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