A New Genus and Species of Colubrid Snake (Squamata, Ophidia, Colubridae) from South Vietnam (Lam Dong Province)

Nikolai L. Orlov, Vladimir E. Kharin, Natalia B. Ananjeva, Thien Tao Nguyen, Truong Quang Nguyen

Abstract


A new genus and species of colubrid snake is described from Lam Dong Province in southern Vietnam. It is a rarely seen, cryptic dwarf fossorial snake combining morphometric and pholidosis characters both of Colubridae and Elapidae snakes. Based on osteology and dentition this snake is referred to colubrids; a new genus is provisionally included in colubinae subfamily. Comparative discussion of morphological characters of Southeast Asian fossorial colubrid and elapid snakes and convergence trends in evolution of dwarf and fossorial snakes are discussed.


Keywords


new genus; new species; fossorial snakes; Colubridae; Lam Dong Province; southern Vietnam; Indochina; Southeast Asia

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2009-16-3-228-240

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