taxonID	type	description	language	source
4367B21E5A55FFEAFF17FA49FC20528B.taxon	description	(Figs. 3 and 4)	en	Hou, Shao-Bing, Wang, Kai, Guo, Peng, Chen, Jin-Min, Yuan, Zhi-Yong, Che, Jing (2021): Two new species and a new country record of the genus Achalinus (Reptilia Squamata: Xenodermidae) from China. Zootaxa 4950 (3): 528-546, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4950.3.6
4367B21E5A55FFEAFF17FA49FC20528B.taxon	materials_examined	Holotype. KIZ 040189, adult male, collected by Benfu Miao and Kai Wang on 10 May 2018 from Hongbao Village (27.00 ° N, 101.53 ° E), Yanbian County, Panzhihua, Sichuan Province, China.	en	Hou, Shao-Bing, Wang, Kai, Guo, Peng, Chen, Jin-Min, Yuan, Zhi-Yong, Che, Jing (2021): Two new species and a new country record of the genus Achalinus (Reptilia Squamata: Xenodermidae) from China. Zootaxa 4950 (3): 528-546, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4950.3.6
4367B21E5A55FFEAFF17FA49FC20528B.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Achalinus panzhihuaensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from recognized congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) TaL / ToL 24.6 % in the single male; (2) two nasal scales in contact with each other behind the rostral; (3) internasal absent; (4) loreal rectangular; (5) supralabials 6; (6) postocular single and small; (7) temporals 2 + 2 + 3, anterior pair elongated, upper one smaller, only uppermost in contact with eye; (8) infralabials 6; (9) mental in contact with first pair of chin shields, fully separating first pair of infralabials; (10) dorsal scales 23 – 23 – 19 rows; (11) ventrals 160; (12) subcaudals 73, unpaired; (13) precloacal scale entire; (14) maxillary teeth 28; and (15) all scales iridescent with metallic luster, brown dorsally, with single indigo-colored vertebral line.	en	Hou, Shao-Bing, Wang, Kai, Guo, Peng, Chen, Jin-Min, Yuan, Zhi-Yong, Che, Jing (2021): Two new species and a new country record of the genus Achalinus (Reptilia Squamata: Xenodermidae) from China. Zootaxa 4950 (3): 528-546, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4950.3.6
4367B21E5A55FFEAFF17FA49FC20528B.taxon	description	Description of holotype. Body size small, total length 257 mm (SVL 194 mm, TaL 63 mm); tail long, 24.6 % total length; body slender, cylindrical in cross section. Head slightly distinct from neck, HL 7.8 mm; eye small, pupil vertically subelliptic. Rostral small, triangular, invisible from above; nasal divided, each half in contact with each other; internasal absent; prefrontals paired, suture length 2.1 mm; frontal pentagonal, slightly wider than long, pointed posteriorly; single pair of parietals; loreal pentagonal, tip pointing anteriorly, longer (LeL: 1.2 mm) than high (HiL: 0.8 mm), LeL / HiL 150.0 %; supraocular single, in contact with loreal, prefrontals, frontal, parietals, and superior anterior temporals. Temporals in three groups, 2 + 2 + 3; superior one of anterior most pair triangular, small, inferior one much larger, elongated, in contact with fourth and fifth supralabials and parietal; the middle pair, superior one parallelogram, small, inferior one much larger, elongated, in contact with sixth supralabials and three posterior temporals; superior most one of last trios biggest, size gradually decreases inferiorly; supralabials six, first one smallest, fourth and fifth in contact with eyes, sixth longest. Mental arc-shaped, in contact with first pair of chin shields; three pairs of chin shields, first pair in fan-shaped, remaining ones of second and third pairs in unequilateralquadrilateral shape. Infralabials six, first pair not in contact with each other, first three in contact with anterior-most pair of chin shields, third and fourth infralabials in contact with middle pair. Dorsal scales elliptical, 23 – 23 – 19 rows, medial 6 – 11 rows distinctly keeled, remaining outer rows smooth. Ventrals 160, rounded laterally; subcaudals 73, unpaired; precloacal entire. Coloration: In life, all scales are weakly iridescent with metallic luster. Dorsum is purplish brown. The vertebral and three paravertebral rows of dorsal scales are darker indigo, which form a darker longitudinal vertebral stripe extending from the posterior margin of the parietals to the tip of tail. Ventral surface of the body is greyish white, and the subcaudal region is purplish brown. In preservative, all scales are still iridescent. Coloration becomes darker after preservation. The dorsum becomes dark grey, and the vertebral stripe turns black. The ventral surface of the body becomes greyish brown, and the ventral tail is dark greyish brown. Comparisons. A. panzhihuaensis sp. nov. is most similar to its sister species A. meiguensis, in which both species have divided nasal scales in contact with each other, no internasal, a single postocular, 6 supralabials, 6 infralabials, mental in contact with first pair of chin shields, and fully separated first pair of infralabials. However, the new species can be diagnosed readily from A. meiguensis by having more subcaudals (SC 73 vs. 39 – 60), more ventrals in male (VEN 160 vs. 146 – 155), and more DSRM (23 vs. 19 – 21) (Table 4). Achalinus panzhihuaensis sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from A. ater, A. emilyae, A. formosanus Boulenger, A. hainanus Huang, A. jinggangensis Zong & Ma, A. juliani, A. niger Mahi, A. pingbianensis Li, Yu, Wu, Liao, Tang, Liu & Guo, A. rufescens Boulenger, A. spinalis Peters, A. tranganensis Luu, Ziegler, Ha, Lo, Hoang, Ngo, Le, Tran & Nguyen, A. timi, A. yunkaiensis, A. werneri Van Denburgh and A. zugorum Miller, Davis, Luong, Do, Pham, Ziegler, Lee, De Queiroz, Reynolds & Nguyen, by having divided nasal scales in contact each other behind the rostral (vs. separated), mental in contact with the first pair of chin shields (vs. separated), first pair of infralabials separated from each other (vs. in contact), as well as an absence of internasal (vs. present), and by the presence of a small postocular (vs. absent). Furthermore, the new species differs from A. jinggangensis, A. pingbianensis, A. timi and A. formosanus by having loreal separated from prefrontal (vs. fused); and from A. emilyae, A. hainanus and A. rufecens by having more infralabials (6 vs. 5). Natural history and distribution. The holotype was found on a montane road at night. The surrounding habitat was of secondary forest of evergreen broadleaf forest with shrubs and vines (Fig. 5). According to locals, road-killed individuals are somewhat common in the summer. At the type locality, the species is sympatric with Diploderma swild Wang, Wu, Jiang, Chen, Miao, Siler, Che, 2019, Lycodon cf. gongshan Vogel, Luo, 2011, Hebius yanbianensis Liu, Zhong, Wang, Liu, Guo, 2018, Ptyas nigromarginata (Blyth, 1854), Megophrys platyparietus (Yang, Rao, 1997), and Odorrana sp .. The new species is currently only known from the type locality in Panzhihua, Sichuan Province, China (Fig. 1).	en	Hou, Shao-Bing, Wang, Kai, Guo, Peng, Chen, Jin-Min, Yuan, Zhi-Yong, Che, Jing (2021): Two new species and a new country record of the genus Achalinus (Reptilia Squamata: Xenodermidae) from China. Zootaxa 4950 (3): 528-546, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4950.3.6
4367B21E5A55FFEAFF17FA49FC20528B.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The specific epithet “ panzhihuaensis ” is named after the type locality of the new species, Panzhihua, Sichuan Province, China. We propose “ Panzhihua Odd-scaled Snake ” as its common English name and “ Ẓ 枝 AEñffi ” (Pinyin: Pan Zhi Hua Ji She) as its Chinese common name.	en	Hou, Shao-Bing, Wang, Kai, Guo, Peng, Chen, Jin-Min, Yuan, Zhi-Yong, Che, Jing (2021): Two new species and a new country record of the genus Achalinus (Reptilia Squamata: Xenodermidae) from China. Zootaxa 4950 (3): 528-546, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4950.3.6
4367B21E5A58FFEFFF17FB0EFF6C510E.taxon	description	(Figs. 6 and 7)	en	Hou, Shao-Bing, Wang, Kai, Guo, Peng, Chen, Jin-Min, Yuan, Zhi-Yong, Che, Jing (2021): Two new species and a new country record of the genus Achalinus (Reptilia Squamata: Xenodermidae) from China. Zootaxa 4950 (3): 528-546, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4950.3.6
4367B21E5A58FFEFFF17FB0EFF6C510E.taxon	materials_examined	Holotype. KIZ 034327, adult male, collected by Kai Xu on 15 April 2018 from Xiaoqiaogou (23.361 ° N, 104.686 ° E; 1609 m a. s. l.), Xichou County, Wenshan, Yunnan Province, China.	en	Hou, Shao-Bing, Wang, Kai, Guo, Peng, Chen, Jin-Min, Yuan, Zhi-Yong, Che, Jing (2021): Two new species and a new country record of the genus Achalinus (Reptilia Squamata: Xenodermidae) from China. Zootaxa 4950 (3): 528-546, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4950.3.6
4367B21E5A58FFEFFF17FB0EFF6C510E.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Achalinus yangdatongi sp. nov. can be distinguished from recognized species of Achalinus by a combination of the following characters: (1) TaL / ToL 26.2 % in the male; (2) suture between internasals distinctly longer than that between prefrontals; (3) internasal present; (4) loreal present; (5) supralabials 6; (6) temporals 2 + 2 + 3, anterior two temporals in contact with eye; (7) infralabials 6; (8) first pair of infralabials in contact with each other behind mental; (9) dorsal body scales in 23 – 23 – 19 rows; (10) scales behind head irregular in shape, smooth; (11) ventrals 161; (12) subcaudals 82, unpaired; (13) precloacal scale entire; (14) maxillary teeth 19; and (15) body surface black above and beneath, iridescent.	en	Hou, Shao-Bing, Wang, Kai, Guo, Peng, Chen, Jin-Min, Yuan, Zhi-Yong, Che, Jing (2021): Two new species and a new country record of the genus Achalinus (Reptilia Squamata: Xenodermidae) from China. Zootaxa 4950 (3): 528-546, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4950.3.6
4367B21E5A58FFEFFF17FB0EFF6C510E.taxon	description	Description of holotype. Total length 397 mm (SVL 293 mm, TaL 104 mm); tail long, TaL / ToL 26.2 %; body slender, cylindrical; head slightly distinct from neck, HL 11.6 mm; eye small, pupil vertically subelliptic. Rostral small, triangular, slightly visible from above; suture between internasals (1.9 mm) longer than that between prefrontals (1.3 mm); nostril in anterior part of nasal; frontal pentagonal, slightly broader than long, pointed backwards, much shorter than parietals; single pair of parietals; loreal rectangle, wider (LeL: 1.4 mm) than the height (HiL: 0.8 mm); single supraocular, in contact with loreal, prefrontals, frontal, parietals and superior anterior temporals; temporals 2 + 2 + 4, two anterior temporals all pentagonal and in contact with eye, superioanterior temporals in contact with parietal, inferioanterior temporal in contact with fourth and fifth supralabials; middle temporals elongated, inferior middle temporal in contact with sixth supralabials; four posterior temporals, superioposterior temporals biggest, inferioposterior temporal smallest; supralabials 6, first smallest, fourth and fifth entering orbit, sixth longest; mental in arc shape, separated from anterior chin shields; infralabials 6, first pair of infralabials in contact with each other behind mental; two pairs of chin shields, anterior one semicircle-shape, posterior pair in unequilateral quadrilateral shape; first three infralabials in contact with anterior chin shields; third and fourth infralabials in contact with posterior chin shields. All scales with metallic luster, weakly iridescent; scales behind head irregular in shape, smooth without keeled; dorsal scale rows 23 – 23 – 19, scales lanceolate and strongly keeled; ventrals 161; subcaudals 82, unpaired; precloacal entire. Coloration: In preservative, the dorsal surface of the body is black, the anterior portion of the coloration of underside of head is dark brown, and the posterior portion and throat is light brown. The color becomes darken gradually from the throat posteriorly until it becomes black, except the free margin of each ventral scale, which is grayish white. Comparisons. A. yangdatongi sp. nov. is most similar to A. ater, in which both species have a suture between internasals distinctly longer than that between prefrontals, equal number of supralabials and infralabials (both 6), anterior temporals in contact with eyes, first pair of infralabials in contact with each other behind the mental, dorsal scales in 23 – 23 – 19 rows, as well as by the presence of internasal and loreal scales. However, the new species can be diagnosed from A. ater by having more subcaudals (SC 82 vs. 47 – 70), a comparatively longer tail (TaL / ToL 26.2 % vs. 19.0 % – 22.0 %), and different coloration of ventral head (the anterior portion dark brown, posterior portion and throat light brown vs. uniformly yellowish-white). Achalinus yangdatongi sp. nov. differs from A. juliani by having fewer ventrals (161 vs. 173 – 179), fewer DSRH (23 vs. 25), and a distinct coloration (black on both dorsal and ventral surfaces vs. greyish brown dorsally, greyish cream ventrally). Achalinus yangdatongi sp. nov. differs from A. tranganensis by having fewer ventrals (161 vs. 171), by having dorsal scale rows 23 – 23 – 19, smooth without keeled (vs. dorsal scales in 25 – 23 – 23 rows, keeled), by having temporals 2 + 2 + 4 (vs. 2 + 3). Achalinus yangdatongi sp. nov. differs from A. emilyae and A. rufescens by having more infralabials (6 vs. 5 in both A. emilyae and A. rufescens), distinct body coloration (black on dorsal body and belly vs. dorsum iridescent pale yellowish brown in A. emilyae, and uniform pale reddish or reddish-brown dark grey dorsally in A. rufescens). Furthermore, the new species differ from A. rufescens by having more ventrals in males (161 vs. 131 – 137) (Table 4). Achalinus yangdatongi sp. nov. differs from A. niger, A. werneri, A. yunkaiensis, and A. spinalis by having suture between the internasals distinctly longer than that between the prefrontals (vs. less than or subequal to), a comparatively longer tail (TaL / ToL 26.2 % vs. 15.0 % – 18.0 % in A. niger, 15.0 % – 25.0 % in A. spinalis, and 18.0 % – 20.0 % in A. yunkaiensis), fewer subcaudals in male (SC 82 vs. 89 – 98 in A. werneri); from A. formosanus, A. jinggangensis, A. pingbianensis, A. timi and A. zugorum by presence of loreal scale (vs. absence), fewer dorsal scale rows (23 – 23 – 19 vs. 25 – 25 – 23 in A. timi, and 27 – 27 – 25 in A. formosanus), and more subcaudals (SC 82 vs. 51 – 64 in A. jinggangensis, 56 in A. pingbianensis and 70 in A. zugorum); from A. meiguensis and A. panzhihuaensis sp. nov. by presence of internasal (vs. absent), absence of postocular (vs. present), as well as by having different state of nasal scales (separated vs. in contact each other behind the rostral), mental separated from anterior chin shields (vs. in contact), and first pair of infralabials in contact with each other (vs. separated); and from A. hainanus by having different temporal formula (2 – 2 – 3 vs. 1 – 2 – 3), more subcaudals (SC 82 vs. 67 – 69), and more infralabials (6 vs. 5). Natural history and distribution. The holotype was found on a paved road near a reservoir on a drizzly night. The nearby habitat is characterized by secondary forests and abandoned farmlands (Fig. 7). At the type locality, this species is sympatric with Trimerodytes percarinatus (Boulenger, 1899), Protobothrops mucrosquamatus (Cantor, 1839), and Pareas sp. With the holotype and the genetically identified snake sheds, A. yangdatongi sp. nov. is only known from its type locality at Xiaoqiaogou, Xichou county, Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China (Fig. 1).	en	Hou, Shao-Bing, Wang, Kai, Guo, Peng, Chen, Jin-Min, Yuan, Zhi-Yong, Che, Jing (2021): Two new species and a new country record of the genus Achalinus (Reptilia Squamata: Xenodermidae) from China. Zootaxa 4950 (3): 528-546, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4950.3.6
4367B21E5A58FFEFFF17FB0EFF6C510E.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The species name, yangdatongi, is a patronym honoring the Chinese herpetologist, Dr. Da-Tong Yang. We name the new species after Dr. Yang in recognition of his great contributions to the herpetological research in Southwestern China, particularly in Yunnan Province where the new species is found. We suggest “ Yang’s Odd-scaled Snake ” as its common English name, and “ 杨氏ñffi ” (Pinyin: Yang Shi Ji She) as its Chinese common name.	en	Hou, Shao-Bing, Wang, Kai, Guo, Peng, Chen, Jin-Min, Yuan, Zhi-Yong, Che, Jing (2021): Two new species and a new country record of the genus Achalinus (Reptilia Squamata: Xenodermidae) from China. Zootaxa 4950 (3): 528-546, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4950.3.6
4367B21E5A5FFFEDFF17FF7CFC7857D2.taxon	description	(Figs. 8 and 9) Chinese Name. We suggest “ Ḵ 北ñffi ” (Pinyin: Yue Bei Ji She) as its Chinese common name. Specimen examined. Single adult female (KIZ 022248), road-killed individual collected by Zhiyong Yuan and Jinmin Chen from Dongzhong (21.719 ° N, 107.583 ° E), Fangchenggang County, Guangxi Zhuang A. R., China, on 2 September 2012 (Fig. 1). Description. Total length 453 mm (SVL 361 mm, TaL 92 mm, TaL / ToL 20.3 %); body slender, cylindrical; head slightly distinct from neck, dorsally covered with large shields; eye small, with pupil vertically subelliptic. Rostral small, triangular, slightly visible from above; frontal pentagonal, slightly broader than long, pointed backwards, much shorter than parietals; parietal long, more than half length of head; nasal divided, nostril in anterior half; one loreal, wider than high, extending from nasal to eye; single supraocular, in contact with loreal, prefrontals, frontal, parietals, and superior anterior temporals; two anterior temporals, only uppermost in contact with eye; two elongated middle temporals, superior one much larger, inferior one in contact with sixth supralabial; three elongate posterior temporals, most superior one largest, separated from each other behind parietals by one small scale; supralabials six, first smallest, third and fourth in contact with loreal; fourth and fifth in contact with eye, sixth longest; mental in arc shape, separated from anterior chin shields, followed by five infralabials; first pair of infralabials in contact with each other; first three infralabials in contact with anterior chin shields; posterior chin shields smaller, laterally in contact with third and fourth infralabials. Dorsal scales elliptical, keeled from neck region onwards; dorsal scale rows 23 – 23 – 23; ventrals 157 (potential preventrals included), rounded laterally; subcaudals 56, unpaired; precloacal entire. Coloration. In life, the dorsal body surfaces of the snake are greyish brown with a dark greyish brown vertebral stripe along the body. The ethanol-preserved specimen is greyish brown above, venter is greyish cream, with the ventral surface of the tail being somewhat darker, and the gular region somewhat paler. Infralabials and chin shields light greyish brown.	en	Hou, Shao-Bing, Wang, Kai, Guo, Peng, Chen, Jin-Min, Yuan, Zhi-Yong, Che, Jing (2021): Two new species and a new country record of the genus Achalinus (Reptilia Squamata: Xenodermidae) from China. Zootaxa 4950 (3): 528-546, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4950.3.6
4367B21E5A5FFFEDFF17FF7CFC7857D2.taxon	discussion	Comments. The Guangxi specimen matches with most of the diagnosis of A. emilyae, including having (1) TaL / ToL 20.3 %; (2) suture between internasals distinctly longer than that between the prefrontals; (3) internasal present; (4) loreal present, wider than high, extending from nasal to eye; (5) supralabials 6; (6) infralabials 5; (7) first pair of infralabials in contact with each other; (8) first three infralabials in contact with anterior chin shields; (9) mental separated from anterior chin shields; (10) temporals 2 + 2, only the superioanterior one in contact with eye; (11) ventrals 157 in female; (12) subcaudals unpaired; (13) dorsal scale rows 23 – 23 – 23; (14) maxillary teeth 28; and (15) dorsum iridescent pale yellowish brown with a dark longitudinal vertebral stripe. The only deviation from the diagnosis of the type series is the number of subcaudal scale (65 for Guangxi specimen vs. 63 for the female paratype). Natural history. The specimen was a road-kill, and its head was found swallowed by a road-killed Bungarus fasciatus (Fig. 9). The nearby habitat consists of secondary forest of broadleaf evergreen forest mixed with shrubs and vines (Provided by Jin-Min Chen, who collected this specimen in the wild). At the type locality, the species is sympatric with Boiga multomaculata (Boie, 1827), Hypsiscopus plumbea (Boie, 1827), Pareas margaritophorus (Jan, 1866), Ptyas dhumnades (Cantor, 1842) and Ptyas multicinctus (Roux, 1907).	en	Hou, Shao-Bing, Wang, Kai, Guo, Peng, Chen, Jin-Min, Yuan, Zhi-Yong, Che, Jing (2021): Two new species and a new country record of the genus Achalinus (Reptilia Squamata: Xenodermidae) from China. Zootaxa 4950 (3): 528-546, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4950.3.6
4367B21E5A5FFFEDFF17FF7CFC7857D2.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Currently A. emilyae is only known from southern China and northern Vietnam. In China, this species is known from a single locality in Guangxi Zhuang A. R. (Fig. 1).	en	Hou, Shao-Bing, Wang, Kai, Guo, Peng, Chen, Jin-Min, Yuan, Zhi-Yong, Che, Jing (2021): Two new species and a new country record of the genus Achalinus (Reptilia Squamata: Xenodermidae) from China. Zootaxa 4950 (3): 528-546, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4950.3.6
