identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
8E274C8704A155A29C9B28F1A2D8B096.text	8E274C8704A155A29C9B28F1A2D8B096.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Lycodon duytan Nguyen & Poyarkov & Vogel 2025	<div><p>Lycodon duytan sp. nov.</p><p>Table 2, Fig. 5; Suppl. material 1: table S 1, fig. S 14</p><p>Type material.</p><p>Holotype: • DTU [Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam] 540 (adult male) collected on 19 April 2018 by TVN in <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=104.65187&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=18.964811" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 104.65187/lat 18.964811)">Khe Choang Areas within Pu Mat National Park</a>, Chau Khe Commune, Con Cuong District, Nghe An Province, Vietnam (ca 18.964811°N, 104.651873°E; altitude 550 m asl) . Paratypes (n = 4): • DTU 541 (adult female), same information with holotype; DTU 542 (adult female) in <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=105.43548&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=18.264116" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 105.43548/lat 18.264116)">Vu Quang NP</a>, Huong Quang Commune, Vu Quang District, Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam (ca 18.264117°N, 105.435481°E; altitude 540 m asl), collected in March 2019 by TVN and T. C. Thai ; • DTU 543 –544 (adult females), collected from <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=105.68918&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=20.268797" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 105.68918/lat 20.268797)">Mac Area within Cuc Phuong NP</a>, Cuc Phuong Commune, Nho Quan District, Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam (ca 20.268796°N, 105.689175°E; altitude 215 m asl), collected in June 2018 by T. N. La and TVN .</p><p>Referred materials</p><p>(n = 6). CPNP NHQ.225 (adult female) and CPNP NHQ.240 (adult female), collected from Cuc Phuong NP, Cuc Phuong Commune, Nho Quan District, Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam . CPNP NHQ.2017.18 (adult female), collected from <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=105.58442&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=20.288652" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 105.58442/lat 20.288652)">Cuc Phuong NP</a>, Thanh Yen Commune, Thach Thanh District, Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam (ca 20.288652°N, 105.584416°E; altitude 150 m asl) collected on 26 August 2017 by Q. H. Nguyen . SIFASV 104 and 105 (two adult females, released), collected from Pu Mat NP, Con Cuong District, Nghe An Province, Vietnam, in May 2017 by Q. S. Nguyen . SIFASV 106 (adult female, released), collected from Nam Dong NR, Quan Hoa District, Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam, in May 2023 by N. V. Ha and TVN .</p><p>Diagnosis.</p><p>A larger-sized species, with a maximum snout-vent length of up to 980 mm; loreal usually contacting the eye; dorsal scale rows 17–17 – 15; upper four or five and vertebral dorsal scale rows keeled; 217–230 ventrals; 80–95 subcaudals, paired; cloacal plate undivided; eight supralabials with 3–5 touching the eye; 1 preocular, 2 postoculars; temporals 2 + 2; dorsal crossbands narrow, separating ground colour into ellipse patches, pinkish-orange colour, 54–72 crossbands on body and tail; head black, the plates conspicuously margined with pinkish-orange; venter reddish-orange.</p><p>Description of the holotype</p><p>(see Fig. 5): The body is robust and slightly laterally compressed. The tail is relatively long, thin, and tapering. The head is elongate, longer than wide, and moderately flattened, with a distinct separation from the neck. The snout is elongated, flattened, and projects slightly over the lower jaw. The nostrils are relatively large, positioned dorsolaterally, and round in shape. The eyes are relatively large, with vertical pupils.</p><p>Body size. SVL 890 mm, TaL 223 mm; ratio TaL / TL 0.200.</p><p>Body scalation. Dorsal scale rows 17–17 – 15, the five upper rows feebly keeled; scales of the vertebral row not enlarged; no apical pit detected; 229 ventrals; 94 subcaudals, all paired; cloacal plate undivided.</p><p>Head scalation. Rostral heptagonal, wider than high, slightly visible from above; nasal single, elongated; nasal surrounded by the first two supralabials, rostral, internasal, and prefrontal; internasals two, curved, slightly wider than longer, in contact with rostral anteriorly, nasal, and prefrontal; prefrontals two, large, subrectangular, prefrontal length slightly shorter than frontal length; prefrontals in contact with internasals, nasals, preoculars, and frontal; frontal rather small, pentagonal, tapering posteriorly, shorter than the distance from tip of snout to the frontal; parietals longer than wide, in contact approximately the length of the frontal; 1 / 1 supraocular, distinctly wider than high, in contact with prefrontal; 1 / 1 loreal, not contacting with the eye; 1 / 1 preocular, slightly large, higher than wide, in broad contact with prefrontal; subocular absent; 2 / 2 postoculars; 2 + 2 temporals; 8 / 8 supralabials, first and second in contact with nasal, second and third in contact with loreal, third and fourth in contact with eye, sixth largest; infralabials 9 / 9, first pair in broad contact with each other, first to fifth in contact with anterior pair of chin shields; posterior chin shields equal anterior ones, separated from each other by a small pair of scales.</p><p>Colouration in preservative: The dorsum is blackish-brown, with 49 narrow pale-coloured crossbands on the body and 23 on the tail. Each pale-coloured body crossband is approximately one dorsal scale wide, interconnecting to divide the ground colour into elliptical patches. The ventral surface of the body is uniformly cream, while the ventral surface of the tail is heavily speckled with dark markings. The head is black, featuring a distinct inverted V-shaped marking on the nape. Pale stripes extend downward from the top of the temporal scales to the last supralabial scale.</p><p>Variation</p><p>(Table 2, Suppl. material 1: table S 1, fig. S 14). The type series is generally similar to the holotype in terms of body proportions and colouration, with only slight variation observed. All examined specimens of Lycodon duytan sp. nov. from geographically distinct localities in north-central Vietnam (Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Thanh Hoa, and Ninh Binh provinces) exhibit consistent diagnostic features, including the presence of four or five keeled midbody dorsal scale rows, a high number of ventral and subcaudal scales (VEN 217–230; SC 80–95), and narrow, pinkish-orange crossbands on the body and tail. Intraspecific variation was minimal. The number of total crossbands (BB + TB) ranged from 54 to 72. The loreal scale was in slight contact with the eye in seven of ten specimens, likely reflecting minor individual variation or asymmetry. No notable variation was observed in body proportions or overall colour pattern across the examined specimens. The dorsal surface is blackish, with 38–49 narrow pinkish-orange crossbands on the body and 14–24 on the tail; these bands interconnect, dividing the ground colour into elliptical patches. The ventral surface of the body is uniformly pale pink, while the tail’s underside exhibits variable dark speckling. The head is black, with a distinct inverted V-shaped marking on the nape and pale stripes extending from the top of the temporal region to the last supralabial. The overall morphological uniformity across multiple localities and habitats supports the recognition of Lycodon duytan sp. nov. as a distinct and geographically cohesive lineage.</p><p>Etymology.</p><p>The species name is derived from the Duy Tan Modernisation Movement (Phong trào Duy Tân) of 1906–1908 in Vietnam, a significant historical reform movement for the modernisation of the country and the society. The specific epithet also acknowledges Duy Tan University, the institution affiliated with the first author, which provided support for this research. We recommend the following common names for this species: Duy Tan Wolf Snake (in English); Duy Tan Grosszahnnatter (in German); R ắn khuy ết Duy Tân (in Vietnamese); Южный краснопоясный волкозуб “ Yuzhnyi krasnopoyasnyi volkozub ” (in Russian).</p><p>Comparison.</p><p>Lycodon duytan sp. nov. differs from all known congeners by the unique combination of the following characters: a large body size (maximum SVL up to 980 mm); 4–5 keeled dorsal scale rows at midbody (vs smooth or only weakly keeled in most species); a high number of ventral and subcaudal scales (VEN 217–230; SC 80–95); 54–72 narrow pinkish-orange crossbands on the body and tail, which interconnect to divide the ground colour into elliptical patches; and a uniformly reddish-pink ventral surface. These features clearly distinguish Lycodon duytan sp. nov. from L. rufozonatus, L. walli stat. nov., and other members of the L. rufozonatus – paucifasciatus species complex, including L. anakradaya Nguyen, Duong, Wood &amp; Grismer, L. cardamomensis Daltry &amp; Wüster, L. paucifasciatus Rendahl in Smith, L. poyarkovi Nguyen &amp; Vogel, L. rosozonatus (Hu &amp; Zhao), and L. gibsonae Vogel &amp; David. These species are all medium to large-sized snakes (total length ≥ 600 mm) sharing superficially similar coloration patterns, namely red or pinkish crossbands on a dark background and an inverted V-shaped marking on the nape, but differ from Lycodon duytan sp. nov. in key morphological traits. Given these similarities, detailed comparisons with these eight species are provided below.</p><p>Lycodon duytan sp. nov. is morphologically very similar to L. rufozonatus but can be distinguished by the following characteristics: a higher number of ventral scales (VEN 217–230, mean 225.1 vs 186–216, mean 199.60), a greater number of subcaudal scales (SC 80–95, mean 88.11 vs 60–88, mean 74.30), and the presence of 4 or 5 keeled scale rows at midbody (vs all dorsal scales smooth).</p><p>Lycodon duytan sp. nov. differs from L. anakradaya (data from Nguyen et al. 2022), L. cardamomensis (data from Do et al. 2017; Nguyen and Vogel 2025), and L. paucifasciatus (data from Smith 1943; Nguyen and Vogel 2025) by having: pale crossbands on the dorsum and tail that link with each other and separate the ground colour of the body into ellipse-shaped patches (vs separate with each other); a higher number of BB + TB in both sexes (54–72 vs 15–26); and crossbands on the dorsum and tail that are narrow ~ 1.0–1.5 dorsal scales wide along the vertebral scale row (vs wide, ~ 3.0–5.0 dorsal scales).</p><p>Lycodon duytan sp. nov. differs from L. poyarkovi (data from Nguyen and Vogel 2025) by having: much bigger size in both sexes (max SVL 890 mm in males, 980 mm in females vs 536 mm in males, 675 mm in females); pale crossbands on the dorsum and tail linked with each other and separate the ground colour of the body into ellipse-shaped patches (vs separate with each other); a higher number of BB + TB in both sexes (54–72 vs 31–47); and crossbands on the dorsum and tail narrow, ~ 1.0–1.5 dorsal scales wide along the vertebral scale row (vs slightly wide, ~ 2.0–2.5 dorsal scales).</p><p>Lycodon duytan sp. nov. differs from L. rosozonatus (data from Nguyen and Vogel 2025) by having: smaller size in males (max SVL 890 mm vs 1060 mm) but a larger size in females (max SVL 980 mm vs 866 mm); a lower number of MSR in both sexes (17 vs 19); a higher number of BB + TB in both sexes (54–72 vs 39–42); and crossbands on the dorsum and tail, ~ 1.0–1.5 dorsal scales wide along the vertebral scale row (vs slightly wide, ~ 2.0–2.5 dorsal scales).</p><p>Lycodon duytan sp. nov. differs from L. gibsonae (data from Vogel and David 2019) by having: pale crossbands on the dorsum and tail that link with each other and a separate ground colour of the body into ellipse-shaped patches (vs separate with each other); a higher number of BB + TB in males (72 vs 25–27); and crossbands on the dorsum and tail ~ 1–1.5 dorsal scales wide along the vertebral scale row (vs slightly wide, ~ 4.5–6.0 dorsal scales).</p><p>Lastly, Lycodon duytan sp. nov. differs from L. walli stat. nov. in several morphological characteristics, including: dorsum colouration (blackish with pinkish-orange crossbands vs black-grey or chocolate with grey-brown or dirty cream crossbands); a higher number of ventral scales (VEN 217–230, mean 225.09 vs 164–198, mean 187.95); a higher number of BB + TB in both sexes (54–72 vs 39–51); and the presence of 4–5 keeled dorsal scale rows at midbody (vs all dorsal scales smooth). Geographically, Lycodon duytan sp. nov. is widely separated from L. walli stat. nov., which is considered endemic to the southern Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Furthermore, the distribution range of L. rufozonatus lies between these two species, further reinforcing their geographic isolation.</p><p>Distribution</p><p>(Fig. 1). Currently, Lycodon duytan sp. nov. is known from Cuc Phuong NP (Nho Quan District, Ninh Binh Province, and Thach Thanh District, Thanh Hoa Province); Nam Dong NR (Thanh Hoa Province); Pu Mat NP (Nghe An Province); and Vu Quang NP (Ha Tinh Province) in north-central Vietnam. Additionally, its presence is anticipated in Pu Luong and Pu Hu NRs (Thanh Hoa Province) and Pu Hoat NR (Nghe An Province) in north-central Vietnam.</p><p>Natural history notes.</p><p>This species is nocturnal and terrestrial, as observed during our field surveys. All observed specimens were found crawling on the ground or on limestone rocks near small to medium-sized streams. Despite its relatively wide distribution, Lycodon duytan sp. nov. appears to be rare within its habitat. In Cuc Phuong NP, Ninh Binh Province, Lycodon duytan sp. nov. was recorded in sympatry with L. futsingensis (Pope), L. meridionalis, and L. ruhstrati abditus Vogel, David, Pauwels, Sumontha, Norval, Hendrix, Vu &amp; Ziegler within secondary karst forests. In Pu Mat NP, Nghe An Province, this species was found in sympatry with L. futsingensis and L. neomaculatus Nguyen, Lee, Pauwels, Kennedy-Gold, Poyarkov, David &amp; Vogel, in an evergreen forest habitat. In Nam Dong NR, Thanh Hoa Province, and Vu Quang NP, Ha Tinh Province, Lycodon duytan sp. nov. was recorded in sympatry with L. futsingensis and L. ruhstrati abditus in secondary forest.</p><p>Conservation status.</p><p>Lycodon duytan sp. nov. has a relatively large distribution range, occurring across at least four protected areas, including three national parks and one nature reserve in northern and central Vietnam, which afford it a certain degree of conservation protection. The estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) is ca 17,307 km 2. The primary threats to this species include habitat loss and degradation, as well as potential illegal collection due to its distinctive colouration (TVN, pers. obs.). Based on these factors, Lycodon duytan sp. nov. is classified as a species of Least Concern (LC) according to the IUCN Red List categories (IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee 2024).</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/8E274C8704A155A29C9B28F1A2D8B096	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Pensoft via Plazi	Nguyen, Tan Van;Poyarkov, Nikolay A.;Vogel, Gernot	Nguyen, Tan Van, Poyarkov, Nikolay A., Vogel, Gernot (2025): Taxonomic reassessment of the Lycodon rufozonatus species complex (Serpentes, Colubridae), with re-evaluation of Dinodon rufozonatum walli, and description of a new species from north-central Vietnam. ZooKeys 1251: 293-322, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1251.157817
B0F727D8A13552E9ACB6875E50E43E07.text	B0F727D8A13552E9ACB6875E50E43E07.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Lycodon rufozonatus Cantor 1842	<div><p>Lycodon rufozonatus Cantor, 1842</p><p>Tables 2, Fig. 3; Suppl. material 1: table S 1, figs S 4 – S 11</p><p>Lycodon rufo-zonatus Cantor (1842: 483) — Holotype: NHMUK [The Natural History Museum, London, UK] 1843.7.21.36 donated by T. Cantor. Type locality: Chusan (now Zhoushan) Islands, Zhejiang Province, China.</p><p>Dinodon cancellatum Duméril &amp; Bibron in Duméril et al. 1854: 447. Holotype: not traced. Type locality: unknown, probably from China (see Stejneger 1907).</p><p>Coronella striata Hallowell, 1856: 152. Syntypes: ANSP 3477–78. Type locality: Ningpo (now Ningbo), Zhejiang Province, China .</p><p>Dinodon rufozonatus var. formosana Boettger, 1885: 125. Holotype: SMF 18045. Type locality: Formosa, now Taiwan.</p><p>Dinodon rufozonatum williamsi Schmidt, 1925: 2. Holotype: AMNH 17453. Type locality: Changsha City, Hunan Province, China.</p><p>Dinodon rufozonatum yunnanense Mell, 1931: 2007. Syntypes: ZMB 52629 –31, ZMB 27711. Type locality: Talifu (now Dali City), Yunnan Province, China .</p><p>Material examined.</p><p>A total of 61 specimens (32 males and 29 females) were examined; see in Suppl. material 1: table S 1.</p><p>Referred materials.</p><p>A total of 14 specimens were used for reference (seven males, six females and one sex unknown) and were reported by Duméril et al. (1854), Maki (1931), and Yang and Rao (2008); see in Suppl. material 1: table S 1.</p><p>Diagnosis.</p><p>Larger-sized species have a maximum snout-vent length of up to 1122 mm; a loreal slight entering the eye (rarely not); dorsal scales in 17 (19 or 21) – 17 (19) – 15 (16 or 17) rows, smooth throughout (rarely very faintly keeled posteriorly); 186–216 ventrals; 60–88 subcaudals, paired; cloacal plate undivided; eight supralabials with 3–5 touching the eye; one preocular, two postoculars; temporals 2 + 3; ground colour back with 60–106 red narrow crossbands on body and tail; ventral surface of body uniform cream, ventral surface of tail heavily dark speckled, not banded (based on Cantor 1842; Duméril et al. 1854; Hallowell 1856; Boettger 1885; Schmidt 1925; Mell 1931; Maki 1931; Yang and Rao 2008; this study).</p><p>Description of the holotype</p><p>(Fig. 3): The body is robust and slightly laterally compressed. The tail is relatively long, thin, and tapering. The head is elongated, longer than wide, and moderately flattened, with a distinct separation from the neck. The snout is elongated, flattened, and slightly projects beyond the lower jaw. The nostrils are relatively large, positioned dorsolaterally, and round in shape. The eyes are relatively large, with vertical pupils.</p><p>Body size. SVL 370 mm, TaL 92 mm; ratio TaL / TL 0.199.</p><p>Body scalation. Dorsal scale rows 17–17 – 15, all smooth; scales of the vertebral row not enlarged; no apical pits; 198 ventrals; 74 subcaudals, all paired; cloacal plate undivided.</p><p>Head scalation. Rostral heptagonal, wider than high, slightly visible from above; nasal single, elongated; nasal surrounded by the first two supralabials, rostral, internasal, and prefrontal; internasals two, curved, slightly wider than longer, in contact with rostral anteriorly, nasal, and prefrontal; two prefrontals, large, subrectangular, prefrontal slightly shorter than frontal; prefrontals in contact with internasals, nasals, preoculars, and frontal; frontal rather small, pentagonal, tapering posteriorly, shorter than the distance from tip of snout to frontal; parietals longer than wide, in contact approximately the length of the frontal; 1 / 1 supraocular, distinctly wider than high, in contact with prefrontal; 1 / 1 loreal, contacting eye; 1 / 1 preocular, large, higher than wide, in broad contact with prefrontal; subocular absent; 1 / 2 postoculars; 2 + 3 temporals; 8 / 8 supralabials, first and second in contact with nasal, second and third contact with loreal, third and fifth in contact with eye, six and seven largest; infralabials 10 / 10, first pair in broad contact with each other, first to fifth in contact with anterior pair of chin shields; posterior chin shields smaller than anterior ones, separated from each other by a pair of small scales.</p><p>Colouration in preservative. The dorsal surface is blackish-brown, with 60 pale transverse crossbands on the body and 20 on the tail. The head is black, featuring a distinct inverted V-shaped marking on the nape. The ventral surface is cream-coloured, gradually becoming darker toward the cloaca, while the ventral surface of the tail is entirely dark.</p><p>General description and variation</p><p>(see Table 2; Suppl. material 1: table S 1, figs S 4 – S 11). Morphology variation based on 61 examined specimens as well as data morphology of 14 specimens were reported by Duméril et al. (1854), Maki (1931), and Yang and Rao (2008). The longest known specimen is 1,349 mm long (adult female; SVL 1145 mm, TaL 204 mm, ZMB 24830 A). The longest known male is 1,323 mm long (SVL 1122 mm, TaL 201 mm; ZMB 19329). Body elongated; head distinct from neck, markedly flattened; eye medium; pupil vertically oval; rostral triangular, broader than high, clear visible from above; internasals as broad as long, approximately half the length of the prefrontal; prefrontal shorter than frontal; frontal hexagonal; parietals large, longer than wide; nasal divided; one loreal, nearly rectangular, narrowing posteriorly, protruding somewhat beneath preocular, usually entering the eye or not, not in entering with internasals; one (rarely absent or two) preocular; two (single) postoculars; two (single) anterior temporals; three posterior temporals (two); eight (seven or nice) supralabials, 1 st and 2 nd SL in contact with the nasal, 2 nd and 3 rd SL in contact with the loreal, 3 rd – 5 th SL entering orbit, 6 th and 7 th SL largest; ten (nice or 11) infralabials; first pair in contact each with other, 1 st – 5 th IL in contact with anterior chin shields, 5 th and 6 th IL largest; 17 (18, 19 or 21) dorsal scale rows at head, 17 (19) dorsal scale rows at midbody, 15 (16 or 17) dorsal scale rows at vent, the upper dorsal and vertebral scale rows entirely smooth or very faintly keeled posteriorly; ventrals 186–216 (199.60 ± 7.84, n = 75), without sexual dimorphism, vertebral scale slightly enlarged, distinctly angulate laterally; cloacal plate undivided; subcaudals 60–88 (74.30 ± 7.83, n = 63), without sexual dimorphism; relative tail length 0.151 –0.237 (0.196 ± 0.021, n = 63), without sexual dimorphism.</p><p>Colouration. The dorsal surface of the body and tail is blackish, with 42–78 narrow red or orange-pink crossbands on the body and 15–30 on the tail. Each pale crossband is ~ 1–3 dorsal scales wide, interconnecting to divide the ground colour into elliptical patches. The ventral surface of the body is uniformly cream, while the ventral surface of the tail is heavily speckled with dark markings. The head is black, with conspicuously red-margined plates and a distinct inverted V-shaped marking on the nape. Pale stripes extend downward from the top of the temporal scales to the last supralabial scale.</p><p>Etymology.</p><p>The species name consists of two Latin adjectives, rufus (meaning red) and zonatus (meaning banded), literally meaning “ red-banded ”. We recommend the following common names for this species: Red-banded Wolf Snake (in English); Grosszahnnatter (in German); Северный краснопоясный волкозуб “ Severyni krasnopoyasnyi volkozub ” (in Russian); 赤链蛇 “ Chì liàn shé ” (in Chinese); 능구렁이 “ Neung-guleong-I ” (in South Korean); アカマダラ “ Akamadara ” (in Japanese); R ắn khuy ết d ải thân đ ỏ (in Vietnamese).</p><p>Distribution</p><p>(Fig. 1). China: This species is widely distributed across the country, occurring in the provinces of Anhui, Beijing, Chongqing, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Henan, Hebei, Hubei, Hunan, Jilin, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Sichuan, Shandong, Shanghai, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Tianjin, Yunnan, and Zhejiang (Zhao and Adler 1993; Wang et al. 2021; this study). Taiwan: This species is very common and widely distributed throughout the island (C. W. You, pers. obs.). South Korea: It is likely to be common in the country and has been recorded in Incheon City, Gangwon Province, Seoul City, and Busan City (Shin et al. 2024; this study). Japan: Reported from Uotsuri and Tsushima Islands, Nagasaki Prefecture (Li et al. 2017; Morikawa and Inoue 2025). Russia: Recorded in Nezhino, Chernigovka, and the Posyet districts, all within the southern part of Primorsky Krai (Maslov and Kotlobay 1998; Li et al. 2017; Sundukov 2025). Vietnam: We confirm the occurrence of this species in northeastern Vietnam, including Tuyen Quang Province (Na Hang NR, based on specimen ROM 30814; see Suppl. material 1: fig. S 9 A), Vinh Phuc Province (Tam Dao NP, based on specimen ROM 34615; see Suppl. material 1: fig. S 9 B), and an individual observed in Tay Yen Tu NR, Bac Giang Province (see Suppl. material 1: fig. S 11 D). Additional records from previously reported locations are discussed below. Laos: The record from Xiengkhouang Province (Deuve 1970) was later revised as Lycodon meridionalis Bourret (Orlov and Ryabov 2004; this study).</p><p>Natural history notes.</p><p>This species is common in China, Taiwan, and South Korea but is rare in Russia, Japan, and Vietnam (Ananjeva et al. 2006; this study). It is an oviparous species occurring in a wide range of habitats, including plains, hills, and montane areas, from boreal to tropical forests. It is also found in villages and other rural areas, typically near water bodies, at elevations of ca 850–1,170 m asl. This species is primarily nocturnal and terrestrial but has been occasionally observed swimming. Its diet includes a wide range of vertebrates. Prey items include fish and toads, such as Duttaphrynus cf. gymnauchen (Bleeker) and Bufo gargarizans Cantor; frogs, including Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Hallowell), Fejervarya limnocharis (Gravenhorst), F. kawamurai Tjong, Matsui, Kuramoto, Nishioka &amp; Sumida, Kaloula cf. pulchra Gray, Limnonectes cf. fujianensis Ye &amp; Fei, and Polypedates braueri (Vogt); and lizards such as Diploderma polygonatum Hallowell, Plestiodon elegans (Boulenger), tail fragments of Scincella vandenburghi (Schmidt), and Gekko japonicus (Duméril &amp; Bibron) . It also preys on other snakes, including Oocatochus rufodorsatus (Cantor), eggs of Elaphe climacophora (Boie), and Gloydius tsushimaensis (Isogawa, Moriya &amp; Mitsui), as well as young birds, rats, and even domestic animals such as a guinea pig (Pope 1935; Morikawa and Inoue 2025; TVN, pers. obs.). Females lay clutches of more than ten eggs (Pope 1935; Dieckmann et al. 2010).</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B0F727D8A13552E9ACB6875E50E43E07	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Pensoft via Plazi	Nguyen, Tan Van;Poyarkov, Nikolay A.;Vogel, Gernot	Nguyen, Tan Van, Poyarkov, Nikolay A., Vogel, Gernot (2025): Taxonomic reassessment of the Lycodon rufozonatus species complex (Serpentes, Colubridae), with re-evaluation of Dinodon rufozonatum walli, and description of a new species from north-central Vietnam. ZooKeys 1251: 293-322, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1251.157817
EA377AFE346351E38BC6707390ED4F28.text	EA377AFE346351E38BC6707390ED4F28.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Lycodon walli (Stejneger 1907) Nguyen & Poyarkov & Vogel 2025	<div><p>Lycodon walli (Stejneger, 1907) stat. nov.</p><p>Table 2, Fig. 4, Suppl. material 1: table S 1, figs S 12, S 13</p><p>Dinodon rufozonatus walli Stejneger 1907: 358. Holotype: USNM [National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA] 34007 was collected in June 1899 by A. Owston. Type locality: Ishigaki Island, Yaeyama Group, Ryukyu Islands, Japan.</p><p>Material examined.</p><p>Three adult males were examined; see in Suppl. material 1: table S 1.</p><p>Referred material.</p><p>A total of 37 specimens were used for reference (20 males and 17 females) and were reported by Stejneger (1907), Takara (1962), and Maki (1931); see Suppl. material 1: table S 1.</p><p>Diagnosis.</p><p>Large-sized species, maximum snout-vent length up to 922 mm; loreal not contacting the eye; dorsal scale rows 17 (19) – 17–15; all smooth at midbody; 164–198 ventrals; 71–90 subcaudals, paired; cloacal plate undivided; 8 supralabials with 3–5 touching the eye; 1 preocular, 2 postoculars; temporals 2 + 3; dorsum chocolate colour with dorsal crossbands grey-brown or dirty cream, wide, separate ground colour into ellipse-shaped patches, 39–51 crossbands on body and tail on tail; head grey-brown the plates conspicuously margined with pale brown; venter cream or pale yellow, no banded (based on Stejneger 1907; Maki 1931; Takara 1962; this study).</p><p>Description of the holotype</p><p>(Fig. 4): The body is robust and slightly laterally compressed. The tail is relatively long, thin, and tapering. The head is elongated, longer than wide, and moderately flattened, with a distinct separation from the neck. The snout is elongated, flattened, and slightly projects beyond the lower jaw. The nostrils are relatively large, positioned dorsolaterally, and rounded in shape. The eyes are relatively large, with vertical pupils.</p><p>Body size. SVL 600 mm; TaL 190 mm; ratio TaL / TL 0.241.</p><p>Body scalation. Dorsal scale rows 17–17 – 15, all smooth; scales of the vertebral row not enlarged; no apical pit detected; 190 ventrals; 87 subcaudals, all paired; cloacal plate undivided.</p><p>Head scalation. Rostral heptagonal, wider than high, slightly visible from above; nasal single, elongated; nasal surrounded by the first two supralabials, rostral, internasal, and prefrontal; internasals two, curved, slightly wider than longer, in contact with rostral anteriorly, nasal, and prefrontal; prefrontals two, large, subrectangular, prefrontal length slightly shorter than frontal length; prefrontals in contact with internasals, nasals, preoculars, and frontal; frontal rather small, pentagonal, tapering posteriorly, shorter than the distance from tip of snout to frontal; parietals longer than wide, in contact approximately the length of the frontal; 1 / 1 supraocular, distinctly wider than high, in contact with prefrontal; 1 / 1 loreal, not contacting with the eye; 1 / 1 preocular, slightly large, higher than wide, in broad contact with prefrontal; subocular absent; 2 / 2 postoculars; 2 + 3 temporals; 8 / 8 supralabials, first and second in contact with nasal, second and third in contact with loreal, third and fourth in contact with eye, sixth largest; infralabials 10 / 10, first pair in broad contact with each other, first to fifth in contact with anterior pair of chin shields; posterior chin shields equal anterior ones, separated from each other by a small pair of scales.</p><p>Colouration in preservative: The dorsal surface is chocolate-coloured, with 25 narrow grey-brown or dirty cream crossbands on the body and 18 on the tail. Each pale crossband is approximately one dorsal scale wide, interconnecting to divide the ground colour into elliptical patches. The ventral surface of the body is predominantly cream, but fine stippling and mottling are present, increasing in density and contrast posteriorly, especially on the tail. The head is black, with a distinct inverted V-shaped marking on the nape. Pale stripes extend downward from the top of the temporal scales to the last supralabial scale.</p><p>General description and variation</p><p>(see Table 2; Suppl. material 1: table S 1, figs S 12, S 13). Morphology variation based on three examined specimens as well as data morphology of 14 specimens was reported by Stejneger (1907), Maki (1931), and Takara (1962).</p><p>The longest known specimen is 1,165 mm long (adult male; SVL 922 mm, TaL 243 mm, KUZ 62999). The longest known female is 960 + mm long (SVL 840 mm, TaL 120 + mm (tail incomplete); Sci. Coll. Kyoto e). Body elongated; head distinct from neck, markedly flattened; eye medium; pupil vertically oval; rostral triangular, broader than high, clearly visible from above; internasals as broad as long, approximately half the length of the prefrontal; prefrontal shorter than frontal; frontal hexagonal; parietals large, longer than wide; nasal divided; one loreal, nearly rectangular, narrowing posteriorly, protruding somewhat beneath the preocular, not entering the eye and internasals; one preocular; two postoculars; two anterior temporals; three posterior temporals; eight (7) supralabials, 1 st and 2 nd SL in contact with the nasal, 2 nd and 3 rd SL in contact with the loreal, 3 rd – 5 th SL entering orbit, 6 th and 7 th SL largest; ten infralabials; first pair in contact with each other, 1 st – 5 th IL in contact with anterior chin shields, 5 th and 6 th IL largest; 17 or 19 dorsal scale rows at the head, 17 dorsal scale rows at midbody, 15 dorsal scale rows at the vent, the upper dorsal and vertebral scale rows entirely smooth; ventrals 164–198 (187.95 ± 6.21, n = 40), without sexual dimorphism, vertebral scale slightly enlarged, distinctly angulate laterally; cloacal plate undivided; subcaudals 71–90 (82.11 ± 4.37, n = 37), without sexual dimorphism; relative tail length 0.196 –0.288 (0.217 ± 0.016, n = 33), without sexual dimorphism.</p><p>Colouration.</p><p>The dorsal surface of the body and tail is chocolate or black-grey, with 25–34 narrow grey-brown or dirty cream crossbands on the body and 15–22 on the tail. Each pale crossband is ~ 1.5–2.5 dorsal scales wide, interconnecting to divide the ground colour into elliptical patches. The ventral surface of the body is predominantly cream, but fine stippling and mottling are present, increasing in density and contrast posteriorly, especially on the tail. The head is brownish-grey with a distinct, inverted V-shaped marking on the nape. Pale pinkish or cream-coloured oblique stripes extend from the upper temporal region downward to the posterior margin of the last supralabial.</p><p>Etymology.</p><p>According to Stejneger (1907), the subspecies is named for Captain Frank Wall (1868–1950), of the Indian Medical Service, author of “ A prodromus of the snakes hitherto recorded from China, Japan, and the Loo Choo Islands ”, as well as many papers on Indian snakes. We recommend the following common names for this species: Sakishima Wolf Snake (in English); Sakishima Grosszahnnatter (in German); サキシママダラ “ Sakishimamadara ” (in Japan); Окинавский краснопоясный волкозуб “ Okinavskiy krasnpoyasnyi volkozub ” (in Russian).</p><p>Comparison.</p><p>Lycodon walli stat. nov. differs from L. rufozonatus sensu stricto by the following characteristics: smaller body size in both sexes (maximum SVL 922 mm in males, 840 mm in females vs 1,122 mm in males, 1145 mm in females); fewer crossbands on the body and tail (BB + TB 39–51, mean 45.40 vs 60–106, mean 79.06); slightly lower number of ventral scales in both sexes (VEN 164–198, mean 187.95 vs 186–216, mean 199.60); differences in colouration: dorsum blackish-grey or chocolate-brown with grey-brown or dirty cream crossbands vs black dorsum with pinkish or reddish-brown crossbands in L. rufozonatus .</p><p>Distribution</p><p>(Fig. 1). This species is endemic to the southern Ryukyu Islands, Japan. It has been recorded on Miyako Island and in the Yaeyama Islands, including Ishigaki Island and Iriomote Island (Maki 1931; Takara 1962; Goris and Maeda 2004; this study).</p><p>Natural history notes.</p><p>In the southern Ryukyus, where the species Lycodon walli stat. nov. occurs, it is uncommon in the Miyakojima Islands with a decreasing population, whereas it is common and stable in the Yaeyama Islands (Ota 2014). Lycodon walli stat. nov. is an oviparous species, with mating occurring in April and clutch sizes of 6– 7 eggs laid in June or July. It is nocturnal and inhabits a wide range of habitats. Its diet includes other snakes, lizards (e. g., Plestiodon barbouri (Van Denburgh)), frogs (e. g., Bufo miyakonis Okada), and turtles (e. g., Mauremys mutica kami Yasukawa, Ota &amp; Iverson). Based on observations in captivity, it is also likely to prey on rodents and small birds. On Nakanogan Island, it has been recorded consuming the eggs and chicks of seabirds. This species is terrestrial, occurring at elevations of ca 10–300 m asl, and is sympatric with Lycodon multifasciatus Maki and Protobothrops elegans (Gray) (Li et al. 2017; Goris and Maeda 2004; Takeuchi 2019; TVN, pers. obs.).</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/EA377AFE346351E38BC6707390ED4F28	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Pensoft via Plazi	Nguyen, Tan Van;Poyarkov, Nikolay A.;Vogel, Gernot	Nguyen, Tan Van, Poyarkov, Nikolay A., Vogel, Gernot (2025): Taxonomic reassessment of the Lycodon rufozonatus species complex (Serpentes, Colubridae), with re-evaluation of Dinodon rufozonatum walli, and description of a new species from north-central Vietnam. ZooKeys 1251: 293-322, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1251.157817
