Protobothrops xiangchengensis

Protobothrops xiangchengensis, commonly known as the Kham Plateau pitviper,[3] is a venomous pit viper species endemic to south-central China. No subspecies are currently recognized.[5]

Protobothrops xiangchengensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Protobothrops
Species:
P. xiangchengensis
Binomial name
Protobothrops xiangchengensis
Zhao, Jiang & Huang, 1979
Synonyms
  • Trimeresurus Xiangchengensis Zhao, 1978
  • Trimeresurus xiangchengensis
    Zhao, Jiang & Huang, 1979
  • Trimeresurus xiangchengensis
    – Zhao, 1979[2]
  • Protobothrops xiangchengensis
    – Gumprecht et al., 2004,[3]
  • Protobothrops xiangchengensis
    – Malhotra & Thorpe, 2004[4]

Taxonomy

There is a genetic proposal to reassign this species to the genus Protobothrops, as Protobothrops xiangchengensis, because a "phylogeny of four mitochondrial gene regions suggests a revised taxonomy for Asian pitvipers (Trimeresurus and Ovophis)".[4]

Description

Scalation includes 25 (23, 24) rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 175-194/181-194 ventral scales in males/females, 54-66/44-62 subcaudal scales and 7-8 (9 or 10) supralabial scales.[3]

Geographic range

Found in China in the provinces of Yunnan and western Sichuan. According to David & Tong (1997), the type locality given is "Sichuan Province, Xiangcheng, altitude 3100 m [10,200 ft]".[2]

See also

References
  1. Guo, P. & Jiang, J. 2012. Protobothrops xiangchengensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: e.T186095A1810271. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T186095A1810271.en. Downloaded on 30 October 2018.
  2. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  3. Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S. 2004. Asian Pitvipers. Geitje Books. Berlin. 1st Edition. 368 pp. ISBN 3-937975-00-4.
  4. Malhotra, Anita & Thorpe, Roger S. 2004. A phylogeny of four mitochondrial gene regions suggests a revised taxonomy for Asian pit vipers (Trimeresurus and Ovophis). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 32: 83 –100. [erratum, p. 680.]
  5. "Trimeresurus xiangchengensis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 28 July 2008.

Further reading
  • David, Patrick, and Haiyan Tong. 1997. Translations of Recent Descriptions of Chinese Pitvipers of the Trimeresurus-complex (Serpentes, Viperidae), with a Key to the Complex in China and Adjacent Areas. Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service (112): 1-31.
  • Zhao, Er-mi; Jiang, Yao-ming; & Huang, Qing-yun. 1979. Three new snake species in China. Materials Herpetological Research Chengden 4: 21.


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