Herpetology Notes, volume 13: 501-504 (2020) (published online on 25 June 2020)

New records for smaragdina Günther, 1864 and B. vietnamensis Hallermann & Orlov in Hallermann, 2005 in Nui Ong Nature Reserve, Vietnam

Thao Ngoc Hoang1,*, Quang Xuan Hoang2, and Tay Thanh Tran3

The Bronchocela Kaup, 1827 includes 13 Materials and Methods of arboreal distributed throughout Our observations are based on two specimens South and , including , collected in 2018 and 2019 at Nui Ong Nature Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, , , Reserve, Binh Thuan Province, Vietnam. Specimens the , , , and New Guinea were preserved in 90% ethanol and deposited in the (Diong and Lim, 1998; Hallermann, 2004, 2005, 2009; collection of the Zoological Laboratory, Hong Duc Grismer et al., 2010, 2015, 2016; Zug et al., 2017). University, Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam (HDU). Among them are endemics or species with narrow Morphological characters of the specimen from Nui distributions, such as B. danieli (Tiwari & Biswas, Ong conformed with the descriptions of Hallermann 1973) and B. rubrigularis Hallermann, 2009 in India; B. (2005). The specimen of B. smaragdina (HDU.3258) hayeki (Müller, 1928) in Indonesia; B. marmorata Gray, has three postmentals (Fig. 2A), whereas the specimen 1845 in the Philippines; B. orlovi Hallermann, 2004 and of B. vietnamensis (HDU.3259) has two postmentals B. vietnamensis Hallermann & Orlov in Hallermann, (Fig. 2B). 2005 in southern Vietnam; and B. rayaensis Grismer et al., 2015 and B. shenlong Grismer et al., 2015 in Results and Discussion Peninsular Malaysia. In contrast, B. cristatella (Kuhl, 1820) and B. jubata Duméril & Bibron, 1837 are much Bronchocela smaragdina more widely distributed (Uetz et al., 2019). The single specimen (HDU.3258) is an adult male Until 2004 only Bronchocela smaragdina was (Fig. 1A) collected by Tran Thanh Tay on 26 Feb 2018 recorded in Vietnam. Based on specimens collected at Doc Dai (11.071550°N, 107.746289°E, elevation 742 in An Khe District, Gia Lai Province, Vietnam by m), Duc Binh Commune, Tanh Linh District, which is the Russian herpetologists Nikolai Orlov and Ilya part of Nui Ong Nature Reserve, Binh Thuan Province, Darevsky, Hallermann (2004) described B. orlovi and Vietnam. Hallermann & Orlov in Hallermann (2005) described B. The following measurements (in mm) and ratios vietnamensis. In this paper, we present new distribution were used to inform our species-level identification: records for B. smaragdina and B. vietnamensis. snout–vent length (SVL) 103.5; tail length (TL) 139.4 (broken); head length (HL) 20.6; head width (HW) 12.5; head depth (HD) 11.9; diameter of the orbit (DO) 5.0; diameter of the tympanum (DT) 2.8; ratio DT/DO = 0.56; hindlimb length 87.5; forelimb length 58.3. Length of toes 1–5: 6.5-9.5-17.2-23.2-13.5. Length of fingers 1–5: 4.9-9.1-15.9-15.7-7.9. 1 Faculty of Natural Sciences, Hong Duc University, Thanh Hoa Head covered above with small uniform keeled Province, Vietnam. scales; no enlarged scales between orbit and tympanum; 2 Vinh University, Nghe An Province, Vietnam. 3 Nguyen Van Troi High School, Tanh Linh District, Binh Thuan nuchal crest indicated by 15 very small erect scales Province, Vietnam. (up to the front of the shoulder), dorsal crest absent. * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Canthus rostralis sharp, five scales longitudinally along 502 Thao Ngoc Hoang et al.

Figure 1. (A) Bronchocela smaragdina and (B) B. vietnamensis in life. Photos by Tran Thanh Tay.

the canthus rostralis from nostril to anterior margin of Bronchocela vietnamensis eye and continuous with six (on the left) or seven (on A single specimen (HDU.3259) an adult female (Fig. the right) enlarged superciliary scales extending to the 1B) collected by Tran Thanh Tay on 26 Feb 2018, at posterior border of the eye. Mental scale small, bordered Thac Ba (11.012784°N, 107.734286°E, elevetion posteriorly by the first infralabial on each side and three 230m), Duc Thuan Commune, Tanh Linh District, Nui postmentals (Fig. 2A), scales in gular region keeled, Ong Natutre Reserve, Binh Thuan Province, Vietnam. smaller than ventrals. Body scales small, homogenous, feebly keeled, 45 scales around midbody; ventral scales Measurements and ratios: Snout–vent length (SVL) 2–3 times larger than dorsal scales, strongly keeled. The 94.9 mm; tail length (TL) 335.1 mm; ratio TL/SVL fifth toe short, shorter than the fourth finger (fifth toe = 3,53; head length (HL) 22.7 mm; head width (HW) 13.5 mm, fourth finger: 15.7mm). 12.6 mm; head depth (HD) 11.1 mm; diameter of the In life the dorsal surfaces of head, body limbs, and orbit (DO) 5.2 mm; diameter of the tympanum (DT) 2.8 anterior portion of the tail are grey-green; surrounding mm; ratio DT/DO = 0.53; hindlimb length: 88.5 mm; of orbit and lower lip, gular region yellowish; brown forelimb length: 56.4 mm. Length of toes 1–5: 5.3-8.8- and white line on the back of the thigh, continue lateral 17.6-24.4-12.7. Length of fifth 1–5: 5.1-8.5-15.7-15.7- of the tail. 7.9. This specimen compares well with the description Head slight concave at the posterior part of snout and of Hallermann (2005), except that the specimen from interorbital, covered by small uniform keeled scales. Nui Ong has a smaller DT/DO ratio (0.56, compared to Scales of nuchal, between orbit and tympanum smaller 0.57–0.68 in the description of Hallermann, 2005). than above of head, no enlarged. Tympanum shallow. New records for Bronchocela smaragdina in Vietnam 503

Figure 2. Ventral views of the heads showing (A) a mental scale with three postmentals in Bronchocela smaragdina, and (B) a mental scale with two postmentals in B. vietnamensis. Photos by Hoang Ngoc Thao.

The mental triangular, wider than high, narrower than According to Hallermann (2005), B. smargdina is the width of rostral; bordered by two postmentals (Fig. found in the southern Annam mountains, Lam Dong 2B) and the first infralabial on each side. Scales at the Province, Vietnam, and in Mondolkiri Province, mental and gular keeled, smaller than ventral scales. Cambodia. Nguyen et al. (2009) added Gia Lai and Nuchal crest indicated by 14 very small erect scales Dak Lak Provinces to the distribution. Bronchocela (up to the front of the shoulder), dorsal crest absent. vietnamensis was described by Hallermann & Orlov in Mid-dorsal scale row not enlarged, 52 scales around Hallermann (2005) based on two specimens collected midbody; ventral scales strongly keeled, 2–3 times in 1993 and one specimen collected in 1995 with type larger than dorsals scales. Limbs long and slender. locality Tram Lap Commune, An Khe District, Gia Lai Dorsal surfaces of head, body limbs and anterior Province, Vietnam. According to Nguyen et al. (2009), portion of tail green; lateral of the head is light green; the distribution of B. vietnamensis includes Gia Lai dorsal surface and tail have many cross-bands in dark (type locality), Phu Yen (Son Hoa), and Dong Nai (Cat green. One white band from axilla to the base of the Tien) Provinces. Except for the distribution areas given groin, and other white bands on the posterior side of the by Hallermann (2005) and Nguyen et al. (2009), no femur and lateral side of tail extended to one-fourths of other distribution areas of these two species have been the tail. discovered in Vietnam. So, Nui Ong Nature Reserve is Specimens of Bronchocela vietnamensis in Nui Ong their new distribution area. The distance from the nearest NR have measurements of the body parts that are smaller location to the new distribution area of Bronchocela than specimens of the description of Hallermann, only vietnamensis is over 80 km (from Cat Tien National the ratio DT/DO is bigger (0.53 compared to 0.43- Park, Dong Nai Province), and of B. smargdina is over 0.51). About scalation, supralabials and infralabials of 180 km (from Lam Dong Province). the specimen in Nui Ong difference between left and right: supralabials 9/8 (left/right), infralabials 10/9 Acknowledgments. We are grateful to the Board of Managers of (left/right); specimens in the description of Hallermann Nui Ong Nature Reserve, Binh Thuan Province for facilitating are stabilized on both sides with 8 supralabials and 9 field surveys and collected specimens and to Master Le Thi Hong Lam for participating in a survey. infralabials. 504 Thao Ngoc Hoang et al.

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Accepted by Lukas Hartmann