Nguyen Quang Truong

Herpetofaunal Diversity of Ha Giang Province in Northeastern Vietnam, with Descriptions of Two New Species

Abstract In April and May of 2000, herpetological surveys of Ha Giang Province, Vietnam, near the Chinese border were undertaken. Surveys concentrated on isolated forests of Mount Tay Con Linh II (contiguous with the highest peak in eastern Vietnam, Mt. Tay Con Linh). The 26-day survey yielded 36 species of amphibians and 16 species of reptiles. The collection contains elements of Himalayan as well as Indo-Malayan assemblages and documents a new country record (Philautus rhododiscus), eight new records east of the Red River (Bombina microdeladigitora, Megophrys parva, Amolops chapaensis, Chaparana delacouri, Chirixalus gracilipes, Philautus odontotarsus, Polypedates dugritei, Rhacophorus hoanglienensis), seven species complexes (Fejervarya limnocharis, Hoplobatrachus rugulosus, Limnonectes kuhlii, Rana chloronota, R. maosonensis, Polypedates dugritei, and P. leucomystax), three unidentified amphibian species, and two previously undescribed species of cascade ranid (Rana iriodes, new species and Rana tabaca, new species). Rana iriodes differs from R. daorum and Amolops chunganensis in having an iridescent green-gold dorsum, orange-red dorsolateral folds, a gold-white flank spot, vomerine teeth, and webbing to toe disks. Rana tabaca, new species, can be differentiated from other cascade ranids by a combination of characters: mottled brown upper lip, gold lip line below the eye to the arm insertion, shagreened dorsum, dorsolateral folds, and unpigmented eggs. Species accumulation curves indicate that the diversity of the region is still underestimated, which, along with the relatively extensive remnant forest, underscores the importance for a greater faunal understanding and conservation effort for the montane forests of the region.

A new species of Goniurosaurus from Cat Ba Island, Hai Phong, northern Vietnam (Squamata: Eublepharidae)

A new species of the gekkonid genus Goniurosaurus is described from Cat Ba Island, Hai Phong, northern Vietnam. G. catbaensis sp. n. is, by its gracile body and limbs, the thin, posteriorly protracted nuchal loop, the three (or four) thin immaculate dorsal body bands between limb insertions, without dark spotting and with dark, narrow border surrounding the body bands, the lack of postrostral (internasal) scales, the presence of a greatly enlarged row of supraorbital tubercles, the outer surface of the upper eyelid being composed of granular scales of about the same size of those on top of head and with a longish row of 6–9 enlarged tubercles, granular body scales, with 8–11 granular scales surrounding the dorsal tubercles, deep axillary pockets, claws being sheathed by four scales, and 16–21 precloacal pores. The new taxon is known only from Cat Ba Island and is the eleventh Goniurosaurus species known and the fourth known species from Vietnam. We provide first data on its natural history and a key to the currently recognized Goniurosaurus species.

Three New Species of Narrow-Mouth Frogs (Genus: Microhyla) from Indochina, with Comments on Microhyla annamensis and Microhyla palmipes

Abstract Three species of Microhyla from Indochina are described. One species is from the Northern Truong Son (Annamite Highlands) of Vietnam and Laos, characterized by finger I less than one-half the length of finger II; expanded disks at the tip of the digits with dorsal median longitudinal grooves producing the appearance of two scutes; two metatarsal tubercles; extensive webbing on feet: on toe IV web full to distal subarticular tubercle; and marbled belly. The second species is from the Tay Nguyen Plateau, Gia Lai Province, Vietnam. It is smaller than the above species, has full webbing to medial subarticular tubercle of toe IV, and has a dusted belly. Microhyla annamensis is discussed because of its similarity to the two new species above. A third species of Microhyla is described from Ngoc Linh Mountain in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam. It is easily separated from congeners of Indochina and China by its small size and the appearance of the first finger as a small, partially free nub. Microhyla palmipes is discussed because of its similarity to the third new species.

A new species of krait (Squamata: Elapidae) from the red river system of Northern Vietnam

Abstract We describe a new species of krait (Elapidae: Bungarus) from the Red River drainage in northern Vietnam. The new species differs from all congeners except its sister species Bungarus bungaroides by the combination of divided subcaudals, dorsal scales arranged in 15 rows, black and white rings on body and tail, and in color pattern of the head as well as hemipenis morphology. The new species differs from B. bungaroides, a distantly allopatric species ranging from eastern Nepal to northern Myanmar, in molecular characters and color pattern. We propose a vicariance hypothesis in which speciation coincided with the uplift of intervening mountain ranges in southwestern Yunnan (China) and/or Late Tertiary glaciations.

A New Reed Snake of the Genus Calamaria Boie (Squamata: Colubridae) from Vietnam

Abstract We describe a new species of Calamaria Boie on the basis of a single specimen collected in broadleaved evergreen forest from Gia Lai Province, Central Vietnam. This is a large species (total length of the unique male 457 mm) characterized by rostral wider than high, with portion visible from above more than half of prefrontal suture; paraparietal surrounded by five shields and scales; presence of preocular; four supralabials, of which second and third entering orbit; modified maxillary teeth; five infralabials, of which first three are in contact with anterior chin shield; mental touching anterior chin shields; 3+191 ventrals, single anal scale; 23 divided subcaudal scales; tail relatively short, as thick as body, not tapering, with rounded end (8.1% of the total length); dorsum light greyish brown, with an indistinct dark neck collar and few dark blotches along posterior vertebral region; two pairs of light blotches on tail; venter yellowish beige, with dark outermost corners in each of ventrals and anterior subcaudals. A key to the Vietnamese and Chinese species of Calamaria is provided. Calamaria gialaiensis sp. nov. is the sixth species of Calamaria recorded from Vietnam.

Taxonomic Status of Xenopeltis hainanensis jidamingae Zhao

Abstract Xenopeltis hainanensis jidamingae is placed in synonymy with Xenopeltis hainanensis based on new material from Yen Bai Province, Vietnam.

First Record of the Chinese Leopard Gecko, Goniurosaurus luii (Reptilia: Eublepharidae) from Vietnam

ABSTRACT The first record of Goniurosaurus luii from Vietnam is reported herein. The specimen is a female and the largest member of the species known to date. This brings the total number of Goniurosaurus in Vietnam to three.

Parahelicops, Pararhabdophis, Paraphyly: Phylogenetic Relationships among Certain Southeast Asian Natricine Snakes (Hebius)

ABSTRACT We investigate the phylogenetic relationships of two poorly known Natricinae, Parahelicops and Pararhabdophis, for which we obtained nucleotide sequence data from one mitochondrial gene (cytochrome b) and three nuclear genes (CMOS, NT3, and RAG1). Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and combined and partitioned Bayesian analyses suggest that both Parahelicops and Pararhabdophis are embedded within the genus Hebius. To align classification with phylogeny, we synonymize Parahelicops and Pararhabdophis with Hebius.

Multilocus phylogeny of the Asian Lance-headed pitvipers (Squamata, Viperidae, Protobothrops )

Despite the public health significance and potential applications to medical research, the evolutionary history of the Asian Lance-headed pitvipers (genus Protobothrops) remains inadequately studied. Previous research generally focused on a few selected species with no comprehensive molecular study of Protobothrops. Here, we conduct the first study to infer the phylogenetic relationships of all currently recognized species in this genus based on four mitochondrial DNA fragments and four nuclear genes. Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood analyses show that within Protobothrops there are four strongly supported clades forming distinct subgroups. The first subgroup, which is sister to the other three, consists of three species, P. himalayanus, P. kaulbacki, and P. sieversorum. The second subgroup contains only P. mangshanensis. The final two subgroups, which are sister groups, include the other four and six Protobothrops species. Although our findings provide additional information on the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Protobothrops, the placement of P. dabieshanensis and P. elegans remains problematic. In addition, our molecular results indicate that P. trungkhanhensis, currently considered endemic to Vietnam, should be added to the species known from China. Our ancestral area estimation indicated that Protobothrops likely originated in southwestern China. This study improves our understanding of the evolutionary relationships among species of Asian Lance-headed pitvipers, providing a greater framework for future studies.

Identification of giant softshell turtle species (Reptilia: Testudines: Trionychidae: Pelochelys, Rafetus) in Vietnam

The allocation of two giant softshell turtle species of the genus Pelochelys and Rafetus is reviewed and confirmed based on morphological features of skulls and carapace bones of giant sofshell turtles collected in North Vietnam. The examination results of these specimens are also compared with description of foreign authors in international herpetological journals. At present, two species of giant softshell turtles were recorded in Vietnam including Pelochelys cantorii Gray, 1864 and Rafetus swinhoei (Gray, 1873). The current status of giant softshell turtle species is considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Therefore, according to the IUCN Red List categories and criteria (2001), both species of giant softshell turtles are proposed to re-evaluate in new version of Red Data Book of Vietnam.