Zoos Victoria's Wolf Snake

description

Description of holotype. Adult female, SVL 411 mm; tail long, much slender posteriorly, TaL 109.7 mm, ratio of TaL / SVL 0.27 or 27 % of SVL; head elongate, distinct from neck, HL 14 mm, twice as long as wide (HW 7 mm), narrower anteriorly and somewhat truncate at the end of the snout tip, larger posteriorly reaching maximum width at level of posterior parietals, forming a subtrapezoid shape, rather depressed, HD 4.1 mm; IO 3.5 mm, twice smaller than head width; snout elongate, SnL 3.7 mm; rostral shield moderate, sub-convex crescentic shape, leaving a small median groove for the tongue to protrude, invisible from above, 1.9 mm in width, about twice as long as depth, 1 mm; internasals subrectangular, 1 mm in width and 1 mm in depth, forming a narrow suture, 1 mm; prefrontal rather large, subpentagonal, posterior sharper point slightly intruding toward anterior suture between supraoculars and sides of frontal, 1.9 mm in width, same length as depth 1.9 mm, forming a suture 1.5 mm in length; frontal large, triangular, its length from anterior side to posterior sharper point 3.3 mm, longer than its width 2.5 mm, measuring the anterior transverse side of maximum frontal contacting with

A new species of wolf snake (Colubridae: Lycodon Fitzinger, 1826) from Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, Cardamom Mountains, southwest Cambodia

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Lycodon zoosvictoriae sp. nov. is differentiated from all of its congeners by the following unique combination of morphological characters: ratio of TaL / SVL 0.27; temporals 2 + 2; maxillary teeth 9 (5 anterior and 4 posterior); supralabials 8; preoculars 1 L / 2 R; postoculars 2; Lo-orbit contact absent; Lo-internasal contact absent; infralabials 10; DSR 17 – 17 – 15; ventral scales 213; subcaudal scale 85; anal plate entire; dorsal surface of head dark brown with pale tan brown on edges and between scales; irregularly scattered dark brown blotches on anterior dorsum, 31 regular dark brown transverse blotches on posterior dorsum and 26 on tail; color of blotches dark brown; body coloration light tan brown; dorsal scale weakly keeled; venter coloration white with dark pigments or spots.

A new species of wolf snake (Colubridae: Lycodon Fitzinger, 1826) from Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, Cardamom Mountains, southwest Cambodia

etymology

Etymology. The specific epithet zoosvictoriae refers to “ Zoos Victoria ” – the Zoological Parks and Gardens Board of the southeastern Australian State of Victoria. “ Zoos Victoria ” has funded the Cardamom Mountains Research Group in collaboration with the Cambodian Ministry of Environment and Fauna & Flora International since 2006. Their support has built the capacity of Cambodian researchers and conservationists and greatly improved understanding of Cambodian herpetofauna. For the vernacular name, we propose Zoos Victoria’s Wolf Snake (in English). Comparison. The new species is easily recognized by its unique coloration within the genus Lycodon in combination with distinct morphometric and meristic characters. Detailed comparisons with its congeners occurring in Cambodia and neighboring countries between 19 ° N latitude in the north and the Isthmus of Kra in the south are provided below and in Table 1. First, Lycodon zoosvictoriae sp. nov. can be distinguished from L. cardamomensis Daltry & Wüster, 2002 (characters of the latter are given in parenthesis) from Cardamom Mountains in Cambodia and southeastern Thailand by having TP 2 + 2 (vs. 2 + 3); fewer MT 9: 5 A & 4 P [vs. 11 –

A new species of wolf snake (Colubridae: Lycodon Fitzinger, 1826) from Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, Cardamom Mountains, southwest Cambodia

materials_examined

Holotype (Fig. 2). CBC 02238, an adult female, collected by Thy Neang and Seiha Hun, 15 June 2013 at N 12 º 09 ' 22.0 ", E 102 º 59 ' 18.7 ", 1,284 m above sea level (a. s. l.) in Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, Cardamom Mountains, Pursat Province, southwest Cambodia.

A new species of wolf snake (Colubridae: Lycodon Fitzinger, 1826) from Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, Cardamom Mountains, southwest Cambodia