Hebius maximus (Malnate, 1962) Li, Ren, Huang, Lyu, Qi, Jiang, Wang & Li, 2022
- Dataset
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy
- Rank
- SPECIES
- Published in
- Li, Mao-Liang, Ren, Jin-Long, Huang, Jun-Jie, Lyu, Zhi-Tong, Qi, Shuo, Jiang, Ke, Wang, Ying-Yong, Li, Jia-Tang (2022): On the validity of Hebius sauteri maximus (Malnate, 1962) (Squamata, Natricidae), with the redescription of H. maximus comb. nov. and H. sauteri (Boulenger, 1909). Herpetozoa 35: 265-282, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.35.e94920, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.35.e94920
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Chordata
- class
- Squamata
- family
- Colubridae
- genus
- Hebius
- species
- Hebius sauteri
description
Description. Body elongated, small to medium-sized, ToL 175 - 597 mm (260 - 470 mm in males, 175 - 597 mm in females); tail relatively long, TL / ToL 0.25 - 0.33 (0.25 - 0.33 in males, 0.25 - 0.31 in females). Eye large, pupil round. Dentition. Maxillary teeth 24, without diastema, gradually enlarged posteriorly, last two distinctly enlarged. Body scalation. Dorsal scales in 17 - 17 - 17 rows, weekly keeled except outer 1 - 4 rows at anterior body, outer 0 - 2 rows smooth at midbody and outer 0 - 1 row smooth posteriorly; ventrals 132 - 143 (132 - 138 in males, 135 - 143 in females); cloacal plates divided; subcaudals 64 - 92 (72 - 92 in males, 64 - 82 in females), paired. Head scalation. Rostral broad, visible from above; internasals paired, nearly triangular, curved outwards, not bordering loreal; prefrontals paired, nearly in a diamond shape, wider than long, borders the loreal, preocular, and supraocular; frontal hexagonal, longer than wide, embedded into parietals posteriorly; parietals paired, not bordering preocular; nasals wider than high, divided at lower half, borders 1 st- 2 nd supralabials; loreal single, borders 2 nd or 2 nd- 3 rd supralabials, not entering orbit; preocular single, higher than wide, rarely divided (CIB 8484, CIB 8467, SYS r 002041); supraocular single, narrowed anteriorly, much wider than high; postoculars 2 - 3; supralabials 7 - 8, 6 th or 7 th highest, 3 rd- 4 th or 4 th- 5 th entering orbit; temporals 1 - 2 + 1 - 3 + 0 / 2 - 4; infralabials 7 - 9, first pair in contact behind the mental, IfL 1 - 3, 1 - 4 or 1 - 5 border the anterior chin shields; chin shields paired, posterior pair longer (Figs 3, 8, Table 4). Hemipenis. The description of hemipenis based on an adult specimen (CIB 118635) near the type locality, Yibin, Sichuan, southwestern China. The left side of hemipenis fully everted, whereas the right side remained in situ for description of retracted condition. Hemipenis thin and short, hemipenial total length (HTL) 7.14 mm, hemipenial total width (HTW) 1.57 mm. HTL / HTW 4.55; Y-shaped, shallowly bilobed, hemipenial truncus length (HCL): 5.75 mm, HCL / HTL 0.81. Both sulcate and asulcate surfaces densely ornamented with spinules, a large basal hook present at the proximal part. Sulcus spermaticus single, extending to base of inner right lobe where it takes a centripetal position. Sulcus lip highly developed and raised, walls covered with spinules (Fig. 10). In situ hemipenis extends up to 5 thSC with its crotch extending to 4 thSC; crotch of m. retractor penis magnus extending to 6 thSC, origin of m. retractor penis magnus invariably at level of 20 thSC.
description
Figs 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
diagnosis
Diagnosis. Hebius maximus comb. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by the following morphological characters: (1) body size small to medium, maximum ToL 597 mm; (2) dorsal scales rows 17 - 17 - 17, all weekly keeled or smooth at outmost one or two rows; (3) ventral scales 132 - 143, cloacal plates divided, subcaudals 64 - 92, paired; (4) maxillary teeth 24, last two distinctly enlarged, without diastema; (5) supralabials 7 - 8; (6) infralabials 7 - 9, generally edged with black at posterior border on 1 st- 3 rd scales only; (7) a light orange stripe extends from angulus oris to the neck; (8) dorsal body reddish brown or grayish brown, with an ill-defined dark olive streak scattered with black spots extending from neck to end at medium of the dorsal.
distribution
Distribution. Hebius maximus comb. nov. is currently known to be distributed in southwestern China, including Chongqing (Youyang Tujia & Miao Autonomous County, Xiushan Tujia & Miao Autonomous County), Sichuan (Mabian County, Pingshan County, Yingjing County, Hongya County, Dujiangyan City, Mianyang City, Leshan City) and Guizhou (Qixingguan District, Bijie City) (this study; Wu 1985) (Fig. 2).
etymology
Etymology. Hebius maximus comb. nov. is named for its highest count of ventral scales among three previous subspecies of H. sauteri (Malnate 1962). Since Hebius maximus comb. nov. is mainly distributed in southwestern China (Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guizhou), we suggest its common name as " Western China Keelback " in English and " Hua Xī Fu Lian She (华西腹链蛇) " in Chinese.
Name
- Homonyms
- Hebius maximus (Malnate, 1962) Li, Ren, Huang, Lyu, Qi, Jiang, Wang & Li, 2022
- Common names
- Western China Keelback in Inglés
- 华西腹链蛇 (Huá Xī Fù Liàn Shé) in Chino