New species of kukri snake named after Nagao Natural Environment Foundation (Japan)
Nagao Kukri Snake Oligodon nagao. Photo: Nguyen Quang Truong
This species differs from other species of the region by the combination of the following characters: Snout-vent length 561-680 mm; short tail, 92-107 mm in length; 15 or 17 dorsal scale rows at midbody; unforked hemipenes, not spinose but with papillae; 7-8 supralabials; 184-193 ventral scales; entire cloacal plate; dorsal surface grey with numerous dark, pale centred, butterfly-shaped blotches: 27-37 on back and 5-8 on tail; ventral side cream, marked with black pigmentation.
The Nagao Kukri Snake has been found only in karst forests at elevation from 170 to 470 m above sea level. This species is currently known from Lang Son and Cao Bang provinces in northern Vietnam, Guangxi Province in southern China, and from Khammouane Province in central Laos. This is the 20th known species of the genus Oligodon in Vietnam, the 14th known species in China, and the 13th known species in Laos.
Habitat of Nagao Kukri Snake in Cao Bang Province. Photo: Nguyen Quang Truong
Translated by Nguyen Quang Truong
Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources
