Hypsiscopus murphyi BERNSTEIN, VORIS, STUART, PHIMMACHAK, SEATEUN, SIVONGXAY, NEANG, KARNS, ANDREWS, OSTERHAGE, PHIPPS & RUANE, 2022
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Hypsiscopus murphyi
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| Higher Taxa | Homalopsidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Murphy’s Mud Snake |
| Synonym | Hypsiscopus murphyi BERNSTEIN, VORIS, STUART, PHIMMACHAK, SEATEUN, SIVONGXAY, NEANG, KARNS, ANDREWS, OSTERHAGE, PHIPPS & RUANE 2022 Hypsiscopus murphyi — BERNSTEIN et al. 2024 |
| Distribution | Laos (Khammouan), SE China (Hong Kong, Hainan, Fujian, Yunnan), Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand. Type locality: Laos, Khammouan Province, Gnommalath District, Ban Phak Phoung, 17.581918N, 105.219978E, 167 m elev. |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype. NCSM 85490 (field number BLS 16458; Fig. 3), adult male, collected in water in a rice paddy near karst forest at 2110 h , Bryan L. Stuart, Niane Sivongxay, Sengvilay Seateun, and Monekham Davanhkham, 11 July 2014. Paratypes.—NCSM 85491, 1 female, same data as holotype; NCSM 85493, 1 female, same data as holotype except 17.581748N, 105.232508E, 160 m elev., 15 July 2014; NUOL 00537, 1 female, same data as holotype except 17.582128N, 105.229798E, 166 m elev., 12 July 2014; FMNH 255229, 1 female, Laos, Champasak Province, Mounlapamok District, Dong Khanthung National Protected Area, near Xe Lepou River at Cambodian border, 14.128N, 105.488E, 60 m elev., Bryan L. Stuart, 14 July 1998; FMNH 259222, 1 male, Cambodia, Mondolkiri Province, Pichrada District, Phnom Nam Lyr Wildlife Sanctuary, 12.496948N, 107.492508E, 700 m elev., Bryan L. Stuart, Dara An, and Phalla Suon, 22 June 2000; FMNH 259225, 1 female, FMNH 259226, 1 male, Laos, Vientiane Province, Phou Phanang, 300 m elev., 18.071948N, 102.446118E, Bryan L. Stuart and Troy E. Hansel, 12 September 2000; FMNH 262422–24, 3 females, Thailand, Nong Bua Lamphu Province, Ban Wang Muan, 16.8415198N, 102.5463838E, Daryl R. Karns, John C. Murphy, and Harold K. Voris, 8 July 2003; FMNH 265800, 1 female, Thailand, Nong Khai Province, Se Ga District, Phu Wua Wildlife Sanctuary, road to Chet Si Waterfall, 18.152088N, 103.950868E, 220 m elev., Bryan L. Stuart and Yodchaiy Chuaynkern, 10 September 2004; MVZ 258174, 1 female, Cambodia, Ratanakiri Province, Veunsai District, Virachey National Park, Veal Thom, 14.22038N, 107.010238E, 601 m elev., Bryan L. Stuart, Jodi J. L. Rowley, and Thy Neang, 8 October 2007; MVZ 258175–77, 3 females, Cambodia, Ratanakiri Province, Veunsai District, Virachey National Park, Veal Thom, 14.204228N, 107.013328E, 661 m elev., Bryan L. Stuart, Jodi J. L. Rowley, and Thy Neang, 2 October 2007; NCSM 76557–58, 2 females, Laos, Savannakhet Province, Vilabouli District, Sepon Mining Tenement, Ban Nonsomphou, 16.967068N, 105.813698E, 200 m elev., Ken Aplin, 25 November 2008; NCSM 78627, 1 female, Laos, Bolikhamxay Province, Thaphabhat District, Phou Khao Khouay National Protected Area, Tad Leuk, 18.395018N, 103.071538E, 205 m elev., Bryan L. Stuart, Somphouthone Phimmachak, Sengvilay Seateun, and Niane Sivongxay, 27 May 2011; NCSM 85517, 1 female, Laos, Vientiane Province, Xaythany District, Ban Sivilay, 18.010378N, 102.632168E, 185 m elev., Somphouthone Phimmachak, 20 June 2013; NUOL 00534, 1 male, Savannakhet Province, Vilabouli District, Sepon Mining Tenement, Ban Nonsomphou, 16.974318N, 105.810178E, 218 m elev., Bryan L. Stuart, Sengvilay Seateun, Niane Sivongxay, Derin Henderson, Singthong Sanvixay, and Soupha Khamlounvilayvong, 29 September 2014; ROM 25391, 1 male, Vietnam, Gia Lai Province, Krong Pa District, 13.233688N, 108.726908E, Ilya S. Darevsky and Nikolai L. Orlov, 6 November 1993; ROM 32373–32374, ROM 32376, 3 unsexed specimens, ROM 32378, 1 male, Vietnam, Gia Lai Province, Krong Pa District, 13.233688N, 108.726928E, Robert W. Murphy, Nikolai L. Orlov, Amy Lathrop, and Leslie A. Lowcock, 26 September 1997; ROM 32386, ROM 32391, 2 unsexed specimens, Vietnam, Dac Lac Province, Buon Don District, Yok Don National Park, 12.860518N, 107.766378E, Robert W. Murphy, Amy Lathrop, Raoul H. Bain, and L. Tuey, 31 May 1997. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: “A small to moderately sized (holotype 355.9 mm total length), rear-fanged (opisthoglyphous) homalopsid with 19–19–(15–17) dorsal scale rows, 22–42 subcaudal scales, and 122–136 ventral scales; nasals with crescentshaped nares; a singular internasal scale; a pair of anterior and posterior chin shields, with a small pair of intergenial scales separating the posterior chin shields; prefrontals unfused; one supraocular scale, one (rarely two) preocular scales, subocular scales absent, two (rarely one) postocular scales; eight (rarely nine) supralabials, supralabials II–III (rarely I–III) contacting loreal, supralabials IV–V (rarely III– V) contacting the eye; ten (rarely eight, nine, or eleven) infralabials, infralabials I–V (rarely I–IV or I–VI) contacting the anterior chin shields, infralabials V–VI (sometimes IV–V, V, or VI–VII) contacting the posterior chin shields (Fig. 3A–E). All morphological data and measurements are found in Supplemental Table 1 (see Data Accessibility). Hypsiscopus murphyi can be distinguished from its congeners by having a higher range of ventral scales which is nearly non-overlapping with that of H. plumbea (113–123), a lower minimum number of subcaudal scales than H. plumbea (30–44), a lower range of subcaudals than H. matannensis (43–48), and a lower number of scales at mid-body than H. matannensis (21 DSR at midbody).” (Bernstein et al. 2022) |
| Comment | Distribution: see Bernstein et al. 2022: 562 (Fig. 1) and Bernstein et al. 2024: 41 (Fig. 1) for maps. Synonymy: This species was previously considered to be H. plumbea. See also H. wettsteini. |
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