Rediscovery and distribution extension of the rare Kukri Snake, Oligodon hamptoni Boulenger, 1918 (Reptilia, Serpentes, Colubridae), with the first record of this species from China

By

Lee, Justin L
Yang, Jian-Huan
Yushchenko, Platon
Poyarkov, Nikolay A

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2021-2-3

Original Publication

Herpetozoa

Volume

34

Pages

13--21

Subjects

Biodiversity , Gaoligongshan Nature Reserve , Morphology , Myanmar , Snakes , Squamata

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.34.e60875

 

Abstract

Oligodon hamptoniis a rare species of Kukri Snake known from only two specimens, both collected nearly a century ago in northern Myanmar. Here, we report the third record of this species based on a photograph taken in Mt. Gaoligongshan, Tengchong City, Yunnan Province, China, approximately 235 km northeast of the nearest record in Bhamo District, Kachin State, Myanmar. We also provide a detailed redescription of the holotype, showing that the photo record from Mt. Gaoligongshan can be unambiguously identified to this species. This rediscovery represents the first observation ofO. hamptoniin China and is the first report of this species in almost 100 years.