Maxwell's Mountain Keelback

description

Description. Measurements, scalation and body proportions of six specimens are listed in Table 3. The examined specimens roughly conform to the previous descriptions (Boulenger 1914; Zhao et al. 1998), and show some variation. Body cylindrical; TL 319 – 442 mm; tail relatively long, TaL 20 – 23 % of TL; head barely distinct from the neck; snout short, broad and depressed; rostral visible from above, approximately twice as broad as deep, RW 28 – 32 % of HW; nasal directed dorsolaterally, its lower edge inverted V-shaped, bordered by first and second supralabials ventrally, by loreal and prefrontal posteriorly, by internasal dorsally, by rostral anteriorly; a short vertical nasal cleft below the nostril, pointing to the apex angle of first supralabial and dividing nasal into anterior and posterior parts; supralabials 7 / 7 (n = 7), 7 / 6 (n = 1), the first supralabial pentagonal, usually fifth entering the orbit (the fourth entering the orbit in FJNU 3611004, fourth and fifth entering the orbit in right side of head in SYS r 001273), the last one (seventh or sixth) longest, longer than total length of two preceding supraliabials; loreal single, 1.4 – 1.7 times as long as deep, not to

Revisions of two poorly known species of Opisthotropis Günther, 1872 (Squamata: Colubridae: Natricinae) with description of a new species from China

description

Opisthotropis maxwelli Opisthotropis andersonii Opisthotropis shenzhenensis sp. nov.

Revisions of two poorly known species of Opisthotropis Günther, 1872 (Squamata: Colubridae: Natricinae) with description of a new species from China

diagnosis

Revision of diagnosis. This species is characterized by the combination of (1) TL 319 – 442 mm; (2) tail relatively long, TaL 20 – 23 % of TL; (3) rostral small, RW 28 – 32 % of HW; (4) nasal in contact with first and second supralabials ventrally; (5) nasal cleft invariably pointing to the apex angle of first supralabial; (6) loreal not entering orbit, 1.4 – 1.7 times as long as deep; (7) supralabials 6 – 7, the last one longest; (8) infralabials 8; (9) dorsal scale rows 17: 17: 17; (10) dorsal scales smooth on the anterior neck, those following feebly keeled, rather strongly keeled on posterior part of body up to the tail; (11) ventrals 147 – 157, subcaudals 53 – 62; (12) olive-brown to olivegreen above in life, body and tail with distinct or barely perceptible longitudinal black stripes, crossing each scale; yellow beneath, ventral surface of head and tail mottled with blackish grey.

Revisions of two poorly known species of Opisthotropis Günther, 1872 (Squamata: Colubridae: Natricinae) with description of a new species from China

discussion

Remarks. Opisthotropis maxwelli was described on the basis of a single female specimen from the British Museum (now the Natural History Museum, London), presented by J. P. Maxwell (Boulenger, 1914), and specimen number was not given. Zhao et al. (1998) described and measured six specimens of O. maxwelli, of which, specimens FJNU 1433 and 1045 measured at 610 mm and 520 mm in SVL, respectively. However, we obtained measurements of 310 mm and 405 mm in SVL, respectively. TABLE ³. Measurements (in mm, minimum (maximum [mean ± SD]), scalation anđ bođy proportions of Opisthotropis maxwelli, O. andersonii anđ O. shenzhenensis sp. nov.

Revisions of two poorly known species of Opisthotropis Günther, 1872 (Squamata: Colubridae: Natricinae) with description of a new species from China