Gloydius huangi

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Gloydius huangi
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Gloydius
Species:
G. huangi
Binomial name
Gloydius huangi
Wang et al., 2019

Gloydius huangi, the Lancang Plateau viper, is a species of Asian moccasin from Tibet. Taxonomically it is named after Dr. Song Huang, a herpetologist from Huangshan University, and the suggested common name is after the name of the river basin it is found in, in hopes of promoting its conservation. As with all pit vipers, it is venomous. [1] It is most closely related to G. monticola. [2] [3]

Contents

Description

The Lancang Plateau viper is a medium-sized snake (up to 53.2 cm) with an oval/spoon-shaped head and a blunt snout. Its scales are matte rather than glossy or metallic and it is beige to peachy in base colouration with many grey or black patches – one is a distinct c-shape patch on the head. [3] It also displays a unique hemipenis morphology with long spines. [1] [2]

Compared to the species it was previously describes as, Gloydius strauchi , the Lancang Plateau viper can be distinguished by its larger size and its distinct pattern. [2]

Habitat

The species prefers hot, dry areas at an elevation of around 3,000 to 3,300 m. They will often shelter in rock crevices when in the presence of a human. According to locals, this species is common. [2]

Diet

It is theorised that the Lancang Plateau viper is a predator of Diploderma vela , as they are codistributed. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 "Gloydius huangi". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "A New Species of Plateau Pit Viper (Reptilia: Serpentes: Gloydius) from the Upper Lancang (=Mekong) Valley in the Hengduan Mountain Region, Tibet, China". ResearchGate. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
  3. 1 2 Shi, Jing-Song; Liu, Jin-Cheng; Giri, Rohit; Owens, John Benjamin; Santra, Vishal; Kuttalam, Sourish; Selvan, Melvin; Guo, Ke-Ji; Malhotra, Anita (2021-10-04). "Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the genus Gloydius (Squamata, Viperidae, Crotalinae), with description of two new alpine species from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China". ZooKeys (1061): 87–108. Bibcode:2021ZooK.1061...87S. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1061.70420 . ISSN   1313-2970. PMC   8505391 . PMID   34707454.


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