Opisthotropis durandi TEYNIÉ, LOTTIER, DAVID, NGUYEN & VOGEL, 2014
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Opisthotropis durandi?
Opisthotropis durandi
Find more photos by Google images search: 
| Higher Taxa | Colubridae (Natricinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Durand’s Mountain Stream Snake F: Opisthotropis de Durand |
| Synonym | Opisthotropis durandi TEYNIÉ, LOTTIER, DAVID, NGUYEN & VOGEL 2014 Opisthotropis durandi — BRAKELS et al. 2021 |
| Distribution | Laos (Louangphabang, Bokeo), Vietnam, possibly neighboring Thailand Type locality: vicinity of Muang Ngoi (20°42'10"N, 102°41'21"E), Ngoi District, Louangphabang Province, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos), elevation about 370 m. |
| Reproduction | oviparous (not imputed, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Holotype: MNHN-RA 2013.1001, an adult female, collected by Alexandre Teynié and Anne Lottier on 18 September 2012. Paratype. IEBR A.2013.26, an adult male, from Mork or Mok Waterfall (20°39'N, 102°42'E), at about 4 km east of Ban Sopkhong or Ban Sop Keng, a village on Nam Ou River located between Nuang Kiea and Muang Ngoi, Ngoi District, Louangphabang Province, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos), at an elevation of about 700 m a.s.l.; collected by Alexandre Teynié and Anne Lottier on 20 May 2013. The locality of the paratype is at about 5.3 km south-southeast from the type locality. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A species of the genus Opisthotropis, characterized by a combination of the following characters: (1) 21–19 DSR at neck and 17 DSR at midbody, all smooth; (2) nostril narrow, long and strongly oblique, dividing the whole length of the nasal; (3) internasals triangular and strongly curved, in contact with the loreal; (4) 1 prefrontal; (5) frontal wider than long; (6) loreal large, longer than high; (7) 6/7 supralabials, 4th SL entering orbit on both sides; (8) 1 preocular; (9) 1 anterior and 2 posterior temporals; (10) at least 88 subcaudals; (11) about 22/23 subequal maxillary teeth; (12) upper dorsal surface above the 5th dorsal scale row uniformly dark greyish-brown with bronze tints, contrasting faintly with sides more bronze-brown, with scales broadly edged posteriorly with yellowish-ochre, this pigmentation extending downwards up to the 1st dorsal scale row; (13) venter pinkish-ochre brown; (14) head dark greyish-brown; and (15) chin, throat and 1st preventral largely blackish-brown with scales irregularly dotted or edged with ochre yellow. A detailed comparison with the other known species of the genus Opisthotropis, especially the 10 species that have 17 dorsal scale rows at midbody, plus Parahelicops annamensis, is given below in “Comparison”. Nevertheless, the combination of a high number of dorsal scale rows at neck for a species with 17 DSR at midbody, internasal in contact with loreal, a high number of subcaudals, the uniform dorsal pattern, and the dark pigmentation of the throat abruptly contrasting with the pale colour of the venter, distinguish Opisthotropis durandi spec. nov. from all other species of the genus Opisthotropis. |
| Comment | Similar species: Opisthotropis spenceri |
| Etymology | This species is named in honour of Mr Frédéric Durand, president of the naturalist association “Société d’Histoire Naturelle Alcide d’Orbigny” (Clermont-Ferrand, France), who supported our field trips and researches of the two first authors in Laos, and thus contributed to the better understanding of the herpetology of Laos. |
| References |
|
| External links |