2025/09/02 by Ya-Ting Liang, Li Ding, Gernot Vogel +2 · 1 voice · 2 citations
Environmental Science · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Amphibian and Reptile Biology #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
paper · pdf · doi:10.3897/zse.101.162424
Trimeresurus nujiang sp. nov. , a new cryptic species of green pit viper is described from southwestern China, based on specimens collected from Gongshan County, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. Phylogenetic analyses based on DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cyt b , ND4, 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes supported the new species as an independent lineage (BPP 1.00/BS 100), closely related to T. stejnegeri and T. yunnanensis . A combination of characters helps delimit the new species from its congeners by: (1) ventrolateral stripe white (above) and dark red (below), present on the first row of dorsal scales in males; ventrolateral stripe faint white present in females; (2) postocular streak absent in both genders; (3) iris golden yellow in both genders; (4) DSR 19 (21/22)–19–15 (13), VEN 164–173, SC 57–68; (5) first upper labial completely separated from the nasal; (6) hemipenes short and spinose, bilobed at 6 th /7 th plate when unextruded, tips reaching SC 10. The uncorrected genetic distances of mitochondrial gene cyt b between the new species and other congeners range from 0.052 ( T. stejnegeri ) to 0.156 ( T. hageni ).