In the present study, we report the six type specimens and two paratypes of eight lizard species in the Herpetological Museum of the Chengdu Institute of Biology(CIB), Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS). Each entry provides the information of the original description, the catalog number of the holotype, sex, type locality, and information of allotype and paratype(if any), number and distribution of deposited specimens, and comments. Additionally, two invalid species and one invalid subspecies are discussed.
The matrilineal genealogy of the genus Paramesotriton is hypothesized based on DNA sequences from mitochondrial NADH subunit two(ND2) and its flanking tRNAs(tRNATrp and a partial tRNAAla). The genealogy identifies a highly divergent, unnamed lineage from Qixiling Nature Reserve, Jiangxi, China and places it as the sister taxon of P. chinensis. The newly discovered population differs from other congeners by several features of external morphology including having large clusters of dark brown conical warts on the dorsum of the head, lateral surface of the body and dorsolateral ridges. Its intermittent dorsal vertebral ridge is the same color as other parts of the dorsum and tail narrows gradually from the base to the tip. Further, the new population differs from all congeners by an uncorrected P-distance of more than 9.38% in ND2. Consequently, we describe the new species of Asian warty newt(Salamandridae) as Paramesotriton qixilingensis sp. nov.
Zhiyong YUANHaipeng ZHAOKe JIANGMian HOULizhong HERobert W.MURPHYJing CHE
On the basis of a different dorsal pattern,and a low number of maxillary teeth,the specimens of Oligodon joynsoni(Smith,1917) from the Nonggang National Nature Reserve,Guangxi,China formerly identified as O. joynsoni by several authors should be referred to the recently described species O. nagao David,Nguyen,Nguyen,Jiang,Chen,Teynié,and Ziegler,2012. Here,we provide the first genuine record of O. joynsoni(Smith,1917) in China based on a male specimen collected from Xishuangbanna,Yunnan,China.
Ke JIANGTianbo CHENPatrick DAVIDGernot VOGELMian HOUZhiyong YUANYuanjun MENGJing CHE
The hot-spring snakes, Thermophis, were previously known only from the Tibet Autonomous Region and Western Sichuan, China. During the past two years, three adult hot-spring snakes(2 females, 1 male) were sampled in Shangri-La, northern Yunnan, China, thus expanding their known distribution region towards the southeast. This site is the southeastern-most corner of the Tibetan Plateau and the southernmost tip of the Hengduan Mountains(Mts.). Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial(mt) and nuclear(n) DNA segments suggested that the three specimens belong to the genus of Thermophis. Morphologically, the new species is more similar to T. zhaoermii. However, it is distinguished from T. zhaoermii in the number of maxillary teeth(15), distance between the two eyes/head width, rostral width/height, mental width/height, in one character limited to female: head width/length, and in four characters restricted to male: occurrence of the reduction from 10 to 8(8 to 6, 6 to 4) scales in each dorsal row on the tail. There are differences in morphology, genetics(mt DNA, n DNA), and geography between the putative new species and T. zhaoermii, the new species meets our proposed eclectic and feasible "four-differences" rule.
A new species of the genus Leptolalax is described from Doi Saket, Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: 1) adult size large(male SVL 45.8-52.5 mm); 2) tympanum distinct; 3) skin of dorsal surface mostly smooth, with distinct tubercles on dorsal and lateral parts of the body; 4) ventrolateral glandular ridge distinct and complete; 5) lateral body and groin covered with dark brown or black spots; 6) throat, chest, and belly nearly immaculate white; and 7) bi-colored iris, upper onethird golden, and lower two-thirds gray. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial 16S rRNA further distinguishes it from its congeners for which sequences are available.
Ke JIANGFang YANChatmongkon SUWANNAPOOMSiriwadee CHOMDEJJing CHE
We describe a new species of the genus Cynops from northeastern Guangdong, China. This new species is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of morphological and molecular characters. In morphology, it is chracterized by distinctive irregular bluish grey spots on the dorsum from head to tail; irregular, bright orange blotches on venter, chin, underside of axillae, limbs, cloaca; one bright orange stripe in the middle of venter; and ventral tail orange red. Analyses of mitochondrial DNA data indicate that this new species forms one highly diverged lineage within the Chinese group of Cynops.
