title: A new species of the genus Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826 (Squamata: Colubridae) from coastal southern Vietnam.
abstract: A new species of the genus Oligodon from the coastal area of Binh Chau-Phuoc Buu Nature Reserve, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam, is described. Oligodon arenarius sp. nov. is distinguishable from all other species by the unique combination of the following characters: medium size; 17 dorsal scale rows; 6-8 maxillary teeth, the posterior three being enlarged; head scalation lacking a loreal but usually including a presubocular; divided nasal; two postoculars; 131-144 ventrals; 36-60 subcaudals; unforked hemipenis, without spines or obvious papillae; sexual dimorphism displayed in the number of subcaudals (36-40 in females, 58-60 in males) and a relative tail length, tails being quite long in males (TaL/TL = 0.26-0.28) and moderate in females (TaL/TL = 0.13-0.17); head coloration pattern including ocular band, temporal bands and chevron-shaped mark on nape; dorsal coloration without distinct pattern, uniform or with dark speckling; ventrals pinkish in life, immaculate. To date, this species appear to be endemic to Vietnam.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, GSP-1, Moscow 119991, Russia Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Center of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, South Branch, 3, Street 3/2, 10 District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.; Email: vassil.anna@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Anna B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Vassilieva
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000825:Animal Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D017812:Colubridae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D014744:Vietnam