A new species of Achalinus (Squamata: Xenodermidae) from Trang An Landscape Complex, Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam

Researchers have identified a new species of snake, Achalinus tranganensis, within the Trang An Landscape Complex in Vietnam's Ninh Binh Province. This discovery, based on both morphological and genetic analyses—including mitochondrial DNA (COI) comparisons—distinguishes it from other Achalinus species by unique traits such as 29 maxillary teeth, a distinct suture pattern between head scales, and a keeled dorsal scale arrangement. Molecular data reveals a minimum genetic divergence of 11.8% from its closest relatives, confirming its status as a novel species. This finding expands Vietnam's known Achalinus diversity to seven species, highlighting the region's rich biodiversity and the ecological significance of Trang An Landscape Complex.

LUU, V. Q., ZIEGLER, T., VAN HA, N., VAN LO, O., HOANG, T. T., NGO, H. T., LE, M. D., TRAN, D. H., & NGUYEN, T. Q. (2020). A new species of Achalinus (Squamata: Xenodermidae) from Trang An Landscape Complex, Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam. Zootaxa, 4877(1). https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4877.1.8