A new mountain pitviper of the genus Ovophis Burger in Hoge & Romano-Hoge, 1981 (Serpentes, Viperidae) from Yunnan, China

By

Qiu, Xian-Chun
Wang, Jin-Ze
Xia, Zu-Yao
Jiang, Zhongwen
Wu, Zhong-Xun
Wang, Nan
Li, Pipeng
Shi, Jingsong

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2024

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1203

Pages

173--187

Subjects

Morphology , Ovophis jenkinsi sp. nov , snake , taxonomy , Yingjiang County

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1203.119218

 

Abstract

Based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis and morphological comparison, a new species of mountain pitviper, Ovophis jenkinsisp. nov., is described. The new species was collected in Yingjiang County, Yunnan Province, China. It can be distinguished from congeneric species by the following characters: (1) internasals in contact or separated by one small scale; (2) second supralabial entire and bordering the loreal pit; (3) dorsal scales in 23 (25)–21 (23, 25)–19 (17, 21) rows; (4) 134–142 ventrals; (5) 40–52 pairs of subcaudals; (6) third supralabial larger than fourth in all examined specimens of Ovophis jenkinsisp. nov.; (7) deep orange-brown or dark brownish-grey markings on dorsal head surface; (8) background color of dorsal surface deep orange-brown or dark brownish-grey; (9) both sides of dorsum display dark brown trapezoidal patches; (10) scattered small white spots on dorsal surface of tail.