New Records and an Updated List of Snakes from Yen Bai Province, Vietnam
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Herpetology Notes, volume 11: 101-108 (2018) (published online on 27 January 2018) New records and an updated list of snakes from Yen Bai Province, Vietnam Dzung Trung Le1, Anh Ngoc Dao1, Dat Thang Pham1, Thomas Ziegler2,3 and Truong Quang Nguyen4,5,* Abstract. Based on a new herpetological collection from the Mu Cang Chai Species and Habitat Conservation Area, Yen Bai Province, Vietnam, we add six new records of snakes for the area, namely Hebius bitaeniatus, H. boulengeri, Oreocryptophis porphyraceus, Pararhabdophis chapaensis, Pareas hamptoni, and Sinonatrix percarinata. In addition, we provide an updated list of the 25 species of snakes now known from Yen Bai Province. Keywords: Snakes, morphology, new records, distribution, Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam Introduction Nomascus concolor in Mu Cang Chai Species/Habitat Conservation Area (Yen Bai Province) and adjacent The Mu Cang Chai Species and Habitat Conservation forests in Muong La District, Son La Province). Most Area (SHCA) is located in the southwestern part of the surprisingly, only eight snake species were recorded Hoang Lien Son Range, Yen Bai Province, Vietnam. It from this area. We herein add to the knowledge of the was established by Decision No. 513/QĐ-UBND, dated snake fauna in the region and report six additional snake 9 October 2006, of the Yen Bai People’s Committee and species for Yen Bai Province based on a new collection encompasses an area of 20,293 ha (FREC, 2002). The from Mu Cang Chai SHCA. unique fauna of Mu Cang Chai SHCA contributes to the great conservation importance of the whole Hoang Material and Methods Lien mountain range. The first survey of the vertebrate fauna in this protected area was conducted in 1980, Collection.—Field surveys were conducted in Mu Cang recording 34 species of mammals, 48 species of birds, Chai SHCA, Yen Bai Province, northern Vietnam (Fig. 16 species of reptiles, and 17 species of amphibians 1), from 27 April–4 May 2017. Survey transects were (see Le, D.T. and Le, P.M., 2010: unpublished report of the Fauna Flora International Vietnam Programme entitled 2010 census of Western Black Crested Gibbon 1 Hanoi National University of Education, 136 Xuan Thuy Road, Hanoi, Vietnam 2 AG Zoologischer Garten Köln, Riehler Straße 173, D-50735 Köln, Germany 3 Institut für Zoologie, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Straße 47b, D-50674 Köln, Germany 4 Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Hanoi, Vietnam 5 Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Figure 1. Map showing the geographical location of Mu Cang Road, Hanoi, Vietnam Chai Species and Habitat Conservation Area (black circle) in * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Yen Bai Province, northern Vietnam. 102 Dzung Trung Le et al. set up along streams, pools, small ponds, or along forest the description of Nguyen (2007) by having fewer paths. Snakes were collected during Visual Encounter subcaudals (63 vs. 71–76). Surveys (Guyer and Donnelly, 2012) using a snake hook Morphology. Characteristics of the specimen include or snake tongs during both day and night. Specimens T L 764 mm tail short (TaL 124 mm TaL/TL 0.16). were euthanized in a closed vessel with a piece of cotton Head longer than wide (HL 22 mm HW 11.1 mm wool containing ethyl acetate (Simmons, 2002), fixed in HL/HW 1.98), slightly distinct from neck snout obtuse 85% ethanol for 10 hours, and then later transferred to (SnL 7.5 mm SnL/HL 0.34) nostril lateral eye small 70% ethanol for permanent storage. Snake specimens (ED 3.1 mm ED/HL 0.14). Head scalation complete, referred to in this paper have been deposited in the including paired internasals, prefrontals, and parietals, collections of the Museum of Biology, Hanoi National 1/1 supraoculars, and one frontal rostral wider than University of Education, Hanoi, Vietnam (HNUE), high 8/8 supralabials, 4th and 5th in contact with the eye, and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, 7th largest 9/9 infralabials, 1st–4th bordering chin shields. Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, DSR 19-19-15, smooth, scales of the outer dorsal scale Vietnam (IEBR). row slightly enlarged ventrals 209 subcaudals 63, all Morphological characters.—Measurements were paired cloacal divided. Dorsal surface of head, body taken with dial callipers to the nearest 0.1 mm and with and tail red, with 14 black-edged reddish-brown bars on a measuring tape for snout–vent length. The number dorsum, two black stripes on posterior body and tail of ventral scales was counted according to Dowling venter and lower surface of tail cream. (1951). The numbers of dorsal scale rows (DSR) are Natural history. The individual was found at 2200 h given using three numbers (e.g., 19-19-15), counted at while foraging near a small stream. The surrounding one head length behind the head, at midbody (i.e., at habitat was mixed primary forest consisting of large the level of the ventral plate corresponding to half the hardwood and shrub. number of the total ventral scale count), and at one head Distribution. In Vietnam, O. porphyraceus had length before the cloaca, respectively. The terminal scale previously been reported from Lao Cai Province in the is not included in the number of subcaudals. Values for north southwards to Quang Binh Province in central paired head characters are given as left/right. Vietnam. This is the first record of the species from Yen Measurements were abbreviated as head length (HL), Bai Province. Elsewhere, this species is known from head width (HW), eye diameter (ED), snout length India, Nepal, China, Taiwan, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, (SnL), snout–vent length (SVL), tail length (TaL), and Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia (Nguyen et al., total length (TL). Throughout the species accounts, all 2009). According to Das (2010) this specimen could be measurements are given in millimetres (mm). assigned to the subspecies O. p. vaillanti. Results FAMILY NATRICIDAE In the following accounts, species names are followed Hebius bitaeniatus (Wall, 1925) by taxonomic authority and year, as well as common (Fig. 2C,D) Kutkai Keelback, Ran sai kut-kai names in English and Vietnamese. Collection and identification. We collected a single FAMILY COLUBRIDAE adult female (HNUE MCC.2017.73) on 1 May 2017, near the Hang De Cha Hai stream, Che Tao Village, Oreocryptophis porphyraceus (Cantor, 1839) Che Tao Commune, Mu Cang Chai SHCA (21.7631°N, (Fig. 2A,B) 104.0188°E, elevation 2046 m). The morphological Black-banded Trinket Snake, Ran soc dom do characters of the specimen agree with the description of Collection and identification. We collected one adult David et al. (2005). male (HNUE MCC.2017.42) on 30 April 2017 near Morphology. Characteristics of the specimen include Hang De Nhang Chang Stream, Che Tao Village, Che TL 744 mm, tail of medium length (TaL 177 mm Tal/TL Tao Commune, Mu Cang Chai SHCA (21.7174°N, 0.24). Head longer than wide (HL 23.6 mm HW 13.7 104.0008°E, elevation 1134 m). The morphological mm HL/HW 1.89), distinct from neck snout obtuse characters of the specimen agreed with the descriptions (SnL 6.5 mm SnL/HL 0.28) nostril lateral eye large, of Smith (1943), Nguyen (2007), Das (2010), and pupil round (ED 3.9 mm ED/HL 0.17). Head scalation Le et al. (2014). However, it slightly differs from complete, including paired internasals, prefrontals, and New records and an updated list of snakes from Yen Bai Province, Vietnam 103 parietals, 1/1 supraoculars, and one frontal rostral wider in the male and 2.7–2.9 mm in females ED/HL 0.18 than high 8/8 supralabials, 3rd–5th in contact with the in the male and 0.19–0.20 in females). Head scalation eye, 6th or 7th largest 10/10 infralabials, 1st–5th bordering complete, including paired internasals, prefrontals, chin shields. DSR 21-19-17, strongly keeled, the first and parietals, 1/1 supraoculars, and one frontal rostral row weakly keeled, scales of the outer dorsal scale row wider than high 9/9 supralabials in the male and 8(9)/9 distinctly enlarged ventrals 167, strongly angulated, in females, 4th–6th in contact with the eye, 8th largest subcaudals 77, paired cloacal divided. Dorsal surface 10/10 infralabials, 1st–5th bordering chin shields. DSR of head, body and tail brownish-grey, pale beige brown 19-19-17, the first row keeled, scales of the outer dorsal on the sides, with two broader dorsolateral stripes along scale row distinctly enlarged ventrals 148 in the male the body venter light brown venter and lower surface and 145–154 in females subcaudals 95 in the male of tail yellow. and 85–102 in females, paired cloacal divided. Dorsal Natural history. The individual was found at 2100 h surface of head, body and tail reddish-brown, with while hiding in a small hole along the bank of a stream. greyish-black vertebral stripe and dark reddish-brown The surrounding habitat was mixed secondary forest lower flanks venter and lower surface of tail cream. consisting of small hardwood and shrub. Natural history. The individuals were encountered Distribution. In Vietnam, H. bitaeniatus had previously between 2000 and 2200 h while foraging on the ground, been reported from Lao Cai and Son La provinces near large streams. The surrounding habitat was mixed (Nguyen et al., 2009). This is a new record of the species primary forest consisting of large hardwood and shrub. for Yen Bai Province. Elsewhere, this species is known Distribution. In Vietnam, H.