Hebius nigriventer (WALL, 1925)
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Hebius nigriventer
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| Higher Taxa | Colubridae (Natricinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Natrix nigriventer WALL 1925: 588 Natrix venningi — WALL 1926: 560 (part) (nec Tropidonotus venningi WALL 1910) Natrix venningi — SMITH 1943: 286 (part) Tropidonotus venningi — WERNER 1929: 24 (part) (nec T. venningi WALL 1910) Amphiesma venningi — KOU 1985: 160 (part) (nec T. venningi WALL 1910) Amphiesma venningi — ZHAO & JIANG 1986: 239 (?; identification uncertain) Amphiesma Venrrinig [sic] — KOU & ZHANG 1987: 364 Amphiesma venningi — ZHAO & ADLER 1993: 228 (part) Amphiesma venningi — ZHAO et al. 1998: 89 & 90 (part) Amphiesma venningi — ZHANG 1999: 430 (?) Amphiesma venningi — ZHAO et al. 2000: 205 Amphiesma venningi — ISKANDAR & COLIJN 2001: 98 (mention from China) Amphiesma venningi — HE & ZHOU 2002: 167 (part) Amphiesma venningi — JI 2002: 184 Amphiesma venningi — ZHAO 2006: (Vol. I) 174 (part), (Vol. II) 97: Fig. 59 Amphiesma venningi — DAVID et al. 2007: 54ff (part) Amphiesma venningi — SHARMA 2007: 207 (in part) Amphiesma venningi — YANG & RAO 2008: 268 Amphiesma venningi — LUO et al. 2010: 74 Amphiesma venningi — ZHANG 2011: 277 (?) Amphiesma venningi — WALLACH et al. 2014: 33 (in part) Hebius nigriventer — DAVID et al. 2021: 13 |
| Distribution | Myanmar (Kachin), China (Yunnan) Type locality: “Huton, Bhamo District (30 miles north-east of Bhamo; circa 4,500 feet; Lat. circa 97°33; Long. Circa 24°24”, now Hutung, Bhamo District, Kachin State, Myanmar |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype. BMNH 1946.1.13.60, adult female; collected by Father Gilhodes, June 1924. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A moderately sized species of the genus Hebius characterized by the combination of (1) 17(exceptionally 19)-17-15–17 dorsal scale rows, moderately keeled at midbody, strongly keeled posteriorly but 1st DSR smooth; (2) dorsal scales around the base of the tail strongly keeled; (3) head moderately distinct from the neck; (4) eye size moderate; (5) maxillary teeth 28–33, the last two moderately enlarged; (6) tail long, with a ratio TaL/TL at least equal to 0.29 in females, up to 0.37 in males; (7) VEN 155–168; (8) SC 105–143; (9) 2 prefrontal scales, (10) anterior temporal elongate, rectangular; (11) venter entirely very dark, i.e., blackish–brown or black, sometimes with two, narrow longitudinal paler stripes, at the exception of a middle stripe pale but heavily blotched with dark hues anteriorly, extending on 5–15 ventrals; (12) dorsal colour very dark, dark brown, very dark greyish-brown or blackish-brown; (13) dorsum background either uniform or with a subdued chequered dorsal pattern made of large, diffuse, rectangular darker blotches on 4th–5th and 7th–8th DSR; (14) on each side, a series of large, cream or pale yellowish-brown (bright orange, rusty-red or reddish-brown in life), rectangular blotches, higher than long anteriorly then more elongate, forming a conspicuous, dorsolateral chain of blotches on 5th–6th DSR throughout the length of the body, becoming smaller posteriorly and turning to an irregular stripe posteriorly; (15) a dark postocular streak usually present; and (16) a short, oblique yellowish-brown or yellow-ochre streak (bright orange or rusty-red in life) above the corner of the mouth and a large blotch of the same colour on the side of the neck (David et al. 2021). |
| Comment | Synonymy: after David et al. 2021 (also see there for references). Bourret 1936: 55 synonymized N. nigriventer with Natrix venningi. David et al. 2021 revalidated it. Figure 59-1 in Zhao 2006: Vol. II: 97 depicts a Hebius bitaeniatus. Illustration: Yang & Rao 2008: 268 (Figure: H. nigriventer), 269 (Table 58: H. nigriventer). Similar species: H. venningi, H. chapaensis. |
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