Hebius deschauenseei (TAYLOR, 1934)
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Higher Taxa | Colubridae (Natricinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Northern Keelback, Deschauensee’s Keelback G: Deschauensees Wassernatter |
Synonym | Natrix deschauenseei TAYLOR 1934: 300 Macropophis deschauenseei — BOURRET 1936: 105 Amphiesma deschauenseei — MALNATE 1960: 50 Amphiesma modesta — NABHITABHATA1987: 42 Amphiesma deschauenseei — DAVID, VOGEL & PAUWELS 1998 Amphiesma deschauenseei — DAVID et al. 2007 Hebius deschauenseei — GUO et al. 2014 Amphiesma deschauenseei — WALLACH et al. 2014: 29 Amphiesma deschauenseei — CHAN-ARD et al. 2015: 230 Hebius deschauenseei — DAVID et al. 2021 |
Distribution | Thailand (Chiang Mai; Chiang Rai; Uthai Thani) Type locality: Type loc. Chieng Mai, North Siam. |
Reproduction | oviparous |
Types | Holotype: ANSP 19927, Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia. Coll., Baron R. M. de Schauensee, between Jan. 1 — Mar. 1, 1933. |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A moderately to large sized species of the genus Hebius characterized by the combination of (1) 19-19-17 dorsal scale rows, moderately or weakly keeled at midbody, more strongly keeled posteriorly excepted scales of the 1st DSR, all smooth; (2) dorsal scales around the base of the tail weakly keeled; (3) head moderately distinct from the neck; (4) eye rather large; (5) 29–30 maxillary teeth, the last two moderately enlarged; (6) tail long and tapering, with a ratio TaL/TL at least equal to 0.33; (7) VEN 149–168; (8) SC 115–141; (9) prefrontal 2; (10) usually 5th–6th SL entering orbit; (11) 1 anterior temporal; (12) venter never entirely dark: along its whole length, creamish-yellow or pale yellowish-grey with three parallel rows of dark blotches, one on the outer part of each ventral, and one on the central part of the venter producing three irregular, parallel stripes separated from each other by a narrow, pale area; (13) dorsum and sides olive-brown, olive-grey or greyish-brown, sometimes dark brown; (14) dorsal surface with irregular, blackish-brown or very dark grey blotches, not producing a chequered pattern; (15) a dorsolateral series of large, elongate blotches, yellow-ochre, rusty red or yellowish-brown, enlarged on the first quarter to third of the body, progressively smaller and united, forming a dorsolateral stripe, usually extending along the whole of the body on the 4th–5th or 5th–6th dorsal scale rows; (16) postocular streak present, not visible in dark specimens; and (17) an ochre-yellow or yellowish-brown streak on each side of the neck and nape forming an incomplete collar (David et al. 2021). |
Comment | Listed as synonym of Natrix (= Amphiesma) modesta by SMITH 1943: 290. Distribution: not in Vietnam, fide P. David, pers. comm., 21 Apr 2021. |
Etymology | Named after Dr. Rodolphe Mayer Deschauensee (1901-1984), former Curator and Director of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia and among the collectors of the holotype. |
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