TitleA new species of green pit vipers of the genus Trimeresurus Lacepede, 1804 (Reptilia, Serpentes, Viperidae) from western Arunachal Pradesh, India
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2020
AuthorsMirza ZA, Bhosale HS, Phansalkar PU, Sawant M, Gowande GG, Patel H
JournalZOOSYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
Volume96
Issue1
Pagination123-138
Date Published04/2020
Abstract

A new species of green pit vipers of the genus Trimeresurus Lacepede, 1804 is described from the lowlands of western Arunachal Pradesh state of India. The new species, Trimeresurus salazar, is a member of the subgenus Trimeresurus, a relationship deduced contingent on two mitochondrial genes, I 6S and ND4, and recovered as sister to Trimeresurus septentrionalis Kramer, 1977. The new species differs from the latter in bearing an orange to reddish stripe running from the lower border of the eye to the posterior part of the head in males, higher number of ptelygoid and dentary teeth, and a short, bilobed hemipenis. Description of the new species and T. arunachalensis Captain, Deepak, Pandit, Bhatt & Athreya, 2019 from northeastern India in a span of less than one year highlights the need for dedicated surveys to document biodiversity across northeastern India.

DOI10.3897/zse.96.48431