taxonID	type	description	language	source
E15BDB029B49527886880412904540A3.taxon	description	Figs 4, 5	en	Ma, Shun, Shi, Sheng-Chao, Xiang, Sun-Jun, Shu, Fu, Jiang, Jian-Ping (2023): A new species of Achalinus Peters, 1869 (Squamata, Xenodermidae) from Hunan Province, China. ZooKeys 1166: 315-331, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1166.103055, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1166.103055
E15BDB029B49527886880412904540A3.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. Holotype. CIB 119039 (Collection No. 20130505001), subadult male (Fig. 4), collected in early May 2013, by Sheng-Chao Shi and Sun-Jun Xiang from Huangyan Village, Hecheng District, Huaihua City, Hunan Province, China (27 ° 28 ′ N, 110 ° 02 ′ E; ca. 880 m a. s. l.). Paratype. CIB 119040, subadult male (Fig. 5), collected on 16 June 2022, by Sheng-Qiang Liu from Wazizhai, Ningxiang County, Changsha City, Hunan Province, China (28 ° 00 ′ N, 111 ° 53 ′ E; ca. 1020 m a. s. l.).	en	Ma, Shun, Shi, Sheng-Chao, Xiang, Sun-Jun, Shu, Fu, Jiang, Jian-Ping (2023): A new species of Achalinus Peters, 1869 (Squamata, Xenodermidae) from Hunan Province, China. ZooKeys 1166: 315-331, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1166.103055, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1166.103055
E15BDB029B49527886880412904540A3.taxon	etymology	Etymology. This new species is named after its known distribution range, which is endemic to Hunan Province. The Chinese name is suggested as " 湖南脊蛇 " (Hu Nan Jǐ She) and the English name " Hunan Odd-scale Snake " or " Hunan Burrowing Snake " is suggested.	en	Ma, Shun, Shi, Sheng-Chao, Xiang, Sun-Jun, Shu, Fu, Jiang, Jian-Ping (2023): A new species of Achalinus Peters, 1869 (Squamata, Xenodermidae) from Hunan Province, China. ZooKeys 1166: 315-331, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1166.103055, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1166.103055
E15BDB029B49527886880412904540A3.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. (1) 23 rows of dorsal scales throughout the body, all dorsal scales strongly keeled, and the outmost one strongly keeled and enlarged; (2) tail relatively short, TaL / TL 0.221 ~ 0.225; (3) maxillary teeth 23; (4) the suture between internasals 2 x as long as that between prefrontals; (5) loreal one, subrectangular, LorH / LorL 0.62 ~ 0.70; (6) supralabials six, the 4 th and 5 th touch the eye; (7) the two anterior temporals in contact with eye; (8) ventrals 163 - 165, subcaudals 69 - 72, not paired.	en	Ma, Shun, Shi, Sheng-Chao, Xiang, Sun-Jun, Shu, Fu, Jiang, Jian-Ping (2023): A new species of Achalinus Peters, 1869 (Squamata, Xenodermidae) from Hunan Province, China. ZooKeys 1166: 315-331, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1166.103055, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1166.103055
E15BDB029B49527886880412904540A3.taxon	description	Description of holotype. A subadult male with a total length of 329 mm (SVL 255 mm and TaL 74 mm); tail relatively short, Tal / TL 0.225; body slender, cylindrical; head length (HL) 7.91 mm, head width 4.80 mm, HL / HW 1.65, slightly distinct from neck; eye small, ED 1.42 / 1.41 mm; maxillary teeth 23, small, equally sized and curved. Rostral small, triangular, only the upper tip visible from above. Length of the suture between the internasals (LSBI 1.78 mm) ~ 2 x as long as length of the suture between the prefrontals (LSBP 0.88 mm). Nostril in the anterior part of the nasal. Loreal one, subrectangular, loreal height (LorH) 1.03 / 1.04 mm, loreal length (LorL) 0.70 / 0.66 mm, LorH / LorL 0.62 ~ 0.70. Supraocular one. Frontal one, pentagonal, pointed backwards, much shorter than the parietals. Parietals paired and elongated. No preoculars and postoculars. Temporals 2 + 2 + 4, the anterior two contact the eye, the lower anterior temporal much larger, the upper medium temporal much larger, the upper posterior temporal much larger and separated from the other side one by two small scales which contact the parietals. Supralabials 6, 4 th and 5 th contact the eye, the last one much elongated. One mental. Two chin shields, similar length. Infralabials 5 / 6, the first one contact with each other after the mental and before the 1 st chin shields, 1 st- 3 rd / 1 st- 4 th touch the 1 st chin shields. Dorsal scales lanceolate and strongly keeled; 23 rows throughout the body; those of the outmost rows on both sides significantly enlarged and strongly keeled. Ventrals 163, with two preventrals; anal entire; subcaudals 69, not paired.	en	Ma, Shun, Shi, Sheng-Chao, Xiang, Sun-Jun, Shu, Fu, Jiang, Jian-Ping (2023): A new species of Achalinus Peters, 1869 (Squamata, Xenodermidae) from Hunan Province, China. ZooKeys 1166: 315-331, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1166.103055, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1166.103055
E15BDB029B49527886880412904540A3.taxon	distribution	Distribution and habits. Achalinus hunanensis sp. nov. is currently only known from Hunan Province, China: Hecheng District, Huaihua City and Ningxiang County, Changsha City (880 - 1020 m a. s. l.). The holotype was found at night, near a mountain stream (AT 24 ° C, RH 80 %) with shrubs under subtropical evergreen broadleaves forest. It was moving from leaf litter to the stream. Earthworms were found at the same place, which we speculated as its prey (Shu et al. 2014).	en	Ma, Shun, Shi, Sheng-Chao, Xiang, Sun-Jun, Shu, Fu, Jiang, Jian-Ping (2023): A new species of Achalinus Peters, 1869 (Squamata, Xenodermidae) from Hunan Province, China. ZooKeys 1166: 315-331, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1166.103055, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1166.103055
