Rhabdophis hmongorum KANE, TAPLEY, LA & NGUYEN, 2023
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Rhabdophis hmongorum?
Rhabdophis hmongorum
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| Higher Taxa | Colubridae (Natricinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: H’mong keelback’ Vietnamese: ‘Rắn hoa cỏ H’mông’ |
| Synonym | Rhabdophis hmongorum KANE, TAPLEY, LA & NGUYEN 2023 Rhabdophis sp. — CHE et al. 2020 |
| Distribution | Vietnam (Lao Cai) Type locality: Mount Fansipan, Hoang Lien National Park, Sa Pa District, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam (22.320588 N, 103.770308 E, 2602 m elevation; Fig. 8 in Kane et al. 2023) |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype. ITBCZ 3616 (Field tag LNT 0562), a male specimen (Figs. 1–7), collected by Chang A Sung and Pao A Vang on June 28, 2022, at 1300 hrs as it moved close to a shallow stream in disturbed secondary forest. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis and identification. The new species is assigned to the genus Rhabdophis based on the following morphological traits: two enlarged maxillary teeth, not preceded by a diastema, positioned at the rear of the bone (Fig.3 A–B); head distinct from neck; nostrils directed laterally; typical generic arrangement of nine dorsal cephalic scales; internasal scales truncated on anterior edge; eye relatively large with rounded pupil; anal scale divided. Rhabdophis hmongorum sp. nov. differs from its congeners by a unique combination of the following characters: (1) 17-17-15 dorsal scale rows; (2) ventral scales 151; (3) subcaudal scales 59; (4) nostrils located laterally on head; (5) internasal scales truncated anteriorly; (6) nuchal groove present; no enlarged nuchal scales; (7) subcaudal scales paired; (8) first row of body scales smooth from head to neck, becoming progressively more keeled toward the tail; (9) dorsal scales keeled, with uppermost 5 rows strongly keeled; (10) posterior two maxillary teeth enlarged, not preceded by a diastema; (11) maxillary tooth count 25 (23+2); (12) short and bilobed hemipenes, extending to 13th subcaudal scale, with spines on both lobes and at base. (Kane et al. 2023) |
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