Hebius maximus

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Hebius maximus
Hebius maximus, adult male, Mt. Laojun, Pingshan, Sichuan, China.jpg
Male from Mt. Laojun in Sichuan
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Hebius
Species:
H. maximus
Binomial name
Hebius maximus
(Malnate, 1962)
Synonyms [1] [2]
  • Amphiesma sauteri maximus Malnate, 1962
  • Hebius sauteri maximus (Malnate, 1962)

Hebius maximus, the western China keelback, is a species of snake of the family Colubridae. The snake is endemic to Southwestern China (Chongqing, Sichuan, northwestern Guizhou). [1] [2] Originally described as a subspecies of Amphiesma sauteri (= Hebius sauteri ), its validity has been doubted; [1] [2] however, it was revalidated by a 2022 study based on morphological and molecular evidence. The evidence even warranted the recognition of Hebius maximus as a full species. [2]

Contents

Etymology

The specific name maximus refers to this taxon having the highest count of ventral scales among what at the time were the three subspecies of H. sauteri. [1] [2]

Description

Hebius maximus is a small to medium-sized snake, reaching 597 mm (23.5 in) in total length. The tail is relatively long, 25–33% of the total length. Dorsal colouration is reddish-brown or grayish brown, while the ventrum is cream white. An ill-defined dark olive dorsal streak scattered with black spots runs from neck to tail. [2]

Female from Mount Emei, Sichuan Hebius maximus, adult female, Mt Emei, Sichuan, China.jpg
Female from Mount Emei, Sichuan
Male from Wujing, Guizhou Hebius maximus, adult male, Wujing, Bijie, Guizhou, China.jpg
Male from Wujing, Guizhou

Habitat

Hebius maximus occurs in subtropical mountain regions at elevations of about 812–1,200 m (2,664–3,937 ft) above sea level in coniferous forests, large forest clearings, and agricultural areas. It is diurnal, active at dusk. Its prey includes earthworms, slugs, and tadpoles. [2]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hebius maximus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 5 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Li, Mao-Liang; Ren, Jin-Long; Huang, Jun-Jie; Lyu, Zhi-Tong; Qi, Shuo; Jiang, Ke; Wang, Ying-Yong & Li, Jia-Tang (2022). "On the validity of Hebius sauteri maximus (Malnate, 1962) (Squamata, Natricidae), with the redescription of H. maximus comb. nov. and H. sauteri (Boulenger, 1909)". Herpetozoa. 35: 265–282. doi: 10.3897/herpetozoa.35.e94920 .
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