A New Species of the Genus Calamaria (Squamata: Ophidia: Colubridae) from the Central Highlands (Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, Ngoc Linh Mountain, Kon Tum Province), Vietnam

Nikolai L. Orlov

Abstract


A new species of Calamaria is described from the Central Highlands, Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, Ngoc Linh Mountain, Kon Tum Province, Vietnam. This species is characterized by a black body with blazing yellow-orange spots on the ventral part of the body. Total body length (holotype) 482 mm; tip of a thick tapering tail is slightly sharpened, tail length 34 mm; 13 rows of dorsal scales around the midbody; 11 rows of dorsal scales on the level of a single anal plate; 159 – 174 ventral scales, 20 – 26 divided subcaudals; four supralabials (second and third entering orbit), five infralabials; rostral large, triangular, its height equal to width, in contact with nasal, prefrontal and first supralabial shield, visible from above; paraparietal surrounded by six shields and scales; one preocular scale; eight modified maxillary teeth in holotype. The new taxon is known only from two specimens (holotype and paratype) collected in the tropical rainforest. It is the eighth species of Calamaria recorded from Vietnam.

Keywords


Central Highlands; Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve; Ngoc Linh Mountain; Kon Tum Province; Vietnam; Squamata; Ophidia; Colubridae; Calamaria sp. nov.; morphology; taxonomy

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2009-16-2-146-154

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