A new species of the genus Trimeresurus Lacépède, 1804 (Reptilia, Squamata, Viperidae) from Southwestern China

By

Liang, Yating
Ding, Li
Vogel, Gernot
Chen, Zening
Wu, Zhengjun

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-9-2

Original Publication

Zoosystematics and evolution

Volume

101

Series / Issue

Issue: 4

Pages

1653--1668

Subjects

Asia , molecular phylogeny , Morphology , taxonomy , Trimeresurus nujiang sp. nov. , Viridovipera

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia Pensoft

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.101.162424

 

Abstract

Trimeresurus nujiangsp. nov., a new cryptic species of green pit viper is described from southwestern China, based on specimens collected from Gongshan County, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. Phylogenetic analyses based on DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cyt b, ND4, 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes supported the new species as an independent lineage (BPP 1.00/BS 100), closely related to T. stejnegeri and T. yunnanensis. A combination of characters helps delimit the new species from its congeners by: (1) ventrolateral stripe white (above) and dark red (below), present on the first row of dorsal scales in males; ventrolateral stripe faint white present in females; (2) postocular streak absent in both genders; (3) iris golden yellow in both genders; (4) DSR 19 (21/22)–19–15 (13), VEN 164–173, SC 57–68; (5) first upper labial completely separated from the nasal; (6) hemipenes short and spinose, bilobed at 6th/7th plate when unextruded, tips reaching SC 10. The uncorrected genetic distances of mitochondrial gene cyt b between the new species and other congeners range from 0.052 (T. stejnegeri) to 0.156 (T. hageni).