A SURVEY OF REPTILES IN XlZANG AUTONOMOUS REGION, WITH FAUNAE ANALYSIS AND 



DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW FORMS ' 



Herpetological Department, Sichuan Biological Research Institute 



Description of new species and subspecies t^l 



Motuo zhuyeqing 1^1 Trimeresurus medoensis Djao, sp. nov. (Plate II, fig. 9, 1-5) 1^1 



Types: Holotype male (Sichuan Institute of Biology Nr 73 II 5208, 3 August 1973, Xizang, Motuo, 

 bridge Ani t^l, altitude 1200 m, collected by DJAO Er-mie and GAG Yuan); paratype male (Sichuan 

 Institute of Biology Nr 73 II 5209, collected on the same day at the same place as the holotype, altitude 

 1400 m, collected by DJAO Er-mie and Wu Xue-en). Deposited in the Sichuan Institute of Biology, 

 Chengdu. 



Diagnosis; A form oi zhuyeqing. The first supralabial is completely separated fi-om the nasal scale; 8 

 supralabials, 8-9 infralabials; 17 (19)-17-13 dorsal scale rows, of which the 7th- 11th median rows are 

 slightly keeled; 148-149 ventral scales. 



Description: The dorsal parts are entirely green on the whole body; the upper lips and the venter are 

 white-yellowish; a bicolor red and white ventrolateral stripe on each side, made of the red inferior part of 

 scales of the first dorsal row and of the white superior part of scales of the first dorsal row and inferior 

 margin of the scales of the second dorsal row; the ventrolateral stripe extend beyond the comer of the 

 mouth to the temporal region, where it is interrupted, and, rearward, it reaches the level of first subcaudal 

 scales; upper part and tip of tail dark red. 



Total length: 563 + 129 mm (holotype) and 509 + 1 15 mm (paratype). 



The intemasals are much larger than other scales on the upper part of the snout, they are in contact or 

 separated by a small scale; the nasals are not divided nor constricted in their middle, and their posterior 

 edge is slightly concave; they are completely separated from the first supralabials by a suture between the 

 scales; second supralabial borders the anterior side of the loreal pit, the upper part of this second 

 supralabial is separated fi-om the nasal by a triangular prefoveal scale l^l; a loreal l^l between the nasal and 

 the preocular scales; the left and right supraocular scales are separated by a transversal row of 6-9 small 

 scales; 2 postoculars; 1 subocular in contact on its forward border with the subfoveal I^l; eyes moderate, 

 with a vertical, oval pupil; 8 supralabials, the third being the largest, the fourth situated just below the eye; 

 8 infralabials on the left side, and 9 infralabials at right, of which the first pair is in contact behind the 

 mental, and the first three pairs are in contact with the anterior chin shields. 17(19)-I7-13 dorsal scale 

 rows, of which the 7-1 1 median rows are slightly keeled; 148-149 ventral scales; anal enfire; 58-59 pairs of 

 subcaudals. 



Biology: The holotype and the paratype were collected along a forest path, during a light rain. The 

 holotype was crawling at 10:50 towards the collectors and, arrived in their vicinity, turned away from 

 them. The paratype was found along a path at 13:50, and, when noticed, tried to escape into a pile of leaves 

 and fallen vegetation at the bottom of the hill slope. 



: Authors of new forms : Djao Er-mie and Jiang Yao-ming. 



