identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
351E1D1960E350278BB63B8A2A1261CD.text	351E1D1960E350278BB63B8A2A1261CD.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Achalinus jinggangensis (Zong & Ma 1983)	<div><p>Achalinus jinggangensis (Zong &amp; Ma, 1983)</p><p>Figs 4, 5, 6, 7, Tables 2, 4</p><p>Achalinopsis jinggangensis Zong &amp; Ma (1983): 61–63.</p><p>Achalinus jinggangensis Tian &amp; Jiang (1986): 110 (See remarks for details).</p><p>Common name. Zong’s Odd-scaled Snake / 井冈山脊蛇 (Ji ̌ ng Ga ̄ ng Sha ̄ n Ji ̌ She ́)</p><p>Type materials.</p><p>Holotype. • SMNH 82 X 188, adult female, collected on October 17, 1982 by Y. Zong and J. F. Ma from <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=114.129&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=26.5599" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 114.129/lat 26.5599)">Dajing Village</a>, Jinggangshan City, Ji’an City, Jiangxi Province, China (26.5599°N, 114.1290°E, 940 m asl.).</p><p>Paratype. • SMNH 82 X 004, adult male, collected on October 14, 1982 by Y. Zong and J. F. Ma, from the same locality as the holotype .</p><p>Other specimens examined</p><p>(N = 14). China. Fujian Province. • QHU R 2023011 (Field No. LFR 2023044; cited as QHU 2023011 in Xu et al. 2024 a), adult female, collected by the team of L. F. Peng on August 18, 2020 from Datian County, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=117.6924&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=25.6589" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 117.6924/lat 25.6589)">Sanming City</a> (25.6589°N, 117.6924°E, 1021 m asl.) ; • QHU R 2024053, adult female, collected by Z. Q. Wang and Z. X. Qiu on September 11, 2019 from Datian County, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=117.6923&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=25.66" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 117.6923/lat 25.66)">Sanming City</a> (25.6600°N, 117.6923°E, 1012 m asl.) . Guangdong Province. • QHU R 2024057, adult male, collected by Z. C. Yang on October 28, 2019 from Yangshan County, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=112.9966&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=24.8711" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 112.9966/lat 24.8711)">Qingyuan City</a> (24.8711°N, 112.9966°E, 1199 m asl.) ; • SYS r 002574, adult female, collected by the team of Y. Y. Wang on March 18, 2020 from Nanling National Forest Park, Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=113.0506&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=24.9137" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 113.0506/lat 24.9137)">Shaoguan City</a> (24.9137°N, 113.0506°E, 832 m asl.) ; • SYS r 002575, adult male, collected by the team of Y. Y. Wang on March 15, 2020 from Renhua County, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=113.6576&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=25.1808" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 113.6576/lat 25.1808)">Shaoguan City</a> (25.1808°N, 113.6576°E, 195 m asl.) ; • SYS r 002579, juvenile female, collected by the team of Y. Y. Wang on April 12, 2019 from Mt. Fenghuang, Chaoan District, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=116.6556&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=23.9479" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 116.6556/lat 23.9479)">Chaozhou City</a> (23.9479°N, 116.6556°E, 1188 m asl.) , • SYS r 002703, adult female, collected by the team of Y. Y. Wang on May 19, 2018 from Yangshan County, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=112.9974&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=24.9273" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 112.9974/lat 24.9273)">Qingyuan City</a> (24.9273°N, 112.9974°E, 1747 m asl.) . Hunan Province. • SYS r 000715, adult female, collected on July 15, 2012; • SYS r 000829 and • SYS r 000830, two adult males, collected on May 21, 2013; all specimens were collected by the team of Y. Y. Wang from Taoyuandong NR., Yanling County, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=114.061&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=26.503" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 114.061/lat 26.503)">Zhuzhou City</a> (approx. 26.503°N, 114.061°E) ; • SYS r 002439, adult female, collected by the team of Y. Y. Wang on July 13, 2020 from Mangshan, Yizhang County, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=112.9639&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=24.9549" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 112.9639/lat 24.9549)">Chenzhou City</a> (24.9549°N, 112.9639°E, 1195 m asl.) . Jiangxi Province. • QHU R 2025050, juvenile male, collected by the team of L. F. Peng on May 17, 2020 from Ganxian District, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=114.8059&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=26.1006" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 114.8059/lat 26.1006)">Ganzhou City</a> (26.1006°N, 114.8059°E, 218 m asl.) ; • SYS r 000311, and • SYS r 000313, two adult males, collected by the team of Y. Y. Wang from Suichuan County, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=114.0715&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=26.2801" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 114.0715/lat 26.2801)">Ji’an City</a> (26.2801°N, 114.0715°E, 819 m asl.), exact collection dates unknown .</p><p>Expanded diagnosis.</p><p>Based on the specimens examined in this study: (1) size medium, with a maximum SVL of 278 mm in males and 360 mm in females; (2) tail relatively short, TAL / TL ratio 0.23–0.25 in males and 0.16–0.24 in females; (3) loreal scale absent; (4) length of suture between internasals substantially longer than that between prefrontals, LSBI / LSBP ratio 1.17–2.81; (5) dorsal scales in 23-23 - 23 rows, with the outermost row enlarged and smooth, and the remaining rows are strongly keeled; (6) infralabials 5–7, with the anterior three to five in contact with the first pair of chin shields; (7) 2 (rarely 3) pairs of chin shields; (8) maxillary teeth 28 / 29 based on the only counted female specimen; (8) ventral scales 147–155 in males and 152–168 in females; (9) subcaudals 63–72 in males and 45–52 in females, not paired; (10) in life, the dorsum is uniformly black with a metallic sheen, with some individuals exhibiting white spots on both sides of the neck; the venter is black or deep blackish brown, with the anterior portion slightly paler.</p><p>Redescription of the holotype</p><p>(Fig. 4). Morphology. An adult female in a relatively good state of preservation after more than 43 years in preservative. Body slender and cylindrical; SVL 360 mm (recorded as 380 mm in the original description), TAL 80 mm, TL 440 mm; tail relatively short, TAL / TL ratio 0.18. Head slightly distinct from the neck, HL 14.23 mm, HW 8.31 mm, HW / HL ratio 0.58. Length of the suture between the internasal substantially longer than that between prefrontal, LSBI 1.76 mm, LSBP 0.88 mm, LSBI / LSBP ratio 2.0. Eye small, ED 1.50 mm.</p><p>Head scalation. Rostrum small, triangular, slightly visible from above. Nasal subrectangular and divided, with the anterior portion slightly larger than the posterior portion; nostril oval, situated in the anterior portion of the nasal. Nasal bordered by the rostral, internasal, prefrontal, and first three supralabials. Internasals 2, subtrapezoidal, with the lateral margins distinctly shorter than the medial margins in contact with each other; each internasal in contact with the rostral anteriorly, the nasal laterally, and the prefrontal posteriorly. Prefrontals two, distinctly wider than high, each in contact with the internasal, nasal, frontal, third and fourth supralabials, and the orbit. Length of the suture between the internasal substantially longer than that between prefrontal. Loreal absent (fused with the prefrontal). Frontal single, pentagonal, pointing to the rear, slightly longer than wide; FW 2.42 mm, FL 2.67 mm, FW / FL ratio 0.91. Parietals paired, elongate, much longer than wide, in contact medially. Supraocular 1 / 1. Preocular and postocular absent. Temporals 2 + 2 + 3 / 2 + 2 + 3, with both anterior temporals entering the orbit. Supralabials 6 / 6, the 4 th – 5 th contact the eye, the last one much elongated. Infralabials 6 / 6; first pair in contact with each other posterior to the mental; first to fourth in contact with the anterior pair of chin shields. Chin shields 2 / 3.</p><p>Body scalation. Dorsal scales in 23-23 - 23 rows; all dorsal scale rows except the outermost are strongly keeled. The outermost row is completely smooth and significantly enlarged. Ventrals 161 (plus 2 preventrals); cloacal plate single; subcaudals 50, not paired.</p><p>Coloration in preservative. After more than four decades in formalin, the dorsal surface of the head appears brown, with the lateral sides noticeably paler than the central region. The dorsum of the body is uniformly brown. The anterior part of the ventral surface is light yellowish brown, gradually darkening posteriorly to deep brown. The anterior margin of each ventral scale is distinctly dark brown.</p><p>Variation.</p><p>The main morphological characters of A. jinggangensis are listed in Table 2. The longest known male specimen measures 363 mm in total length (SMNH 82 X 004, paratype; SVL 278 mm, TAL 85 mm); and the longest known female specimen exceeds 444 mm in total length (QHU R 2023011; SVL 391 mm, TAL 53 + mm); TAL / TL ratio 0.23–0.25 in males, and 0.16–0.24 in females.</p><p>Scalation (Fig. 5). INS 2, PF 2, length of the suture between the internasal substantially longer than that between prefrontal, LSBI / LSBP ratio 1.17–2.81; loreal absent; temporals 2 + 2 + 3 or 4, only specimen SYS r 002574 shows pronounced variation, with 1 + 1 + 3 on left side and 1 + 4 on the other; SL 6, the 4 th – 5 th contact the eye, the last one much elongated; IL 5–7, first three or four (rarely five) in contact with the first pair of chin shields; two pairs of chin shields; only two of the 16 examined specimens have three on one side (SMNH 82 X 004 and SMNH 82 X 188). DSR 23-23 - 23; all dorsal scale rows except the outermost are strongly keeled. The outermost row is completely smooth and significantly enlarged. The numbers of ventral and subcaudal scales show pronounced sexual dimorphism; VS 147–155 in males and 152–168 in females; SC 63–72 in males and 45–52 in females; VS + SC 210–225 in males and 203–218 in females.</p><p>Dentition (Fig. 6). Based on specimen QHU R 2023011. Maxillary teeth 28 / 29, without diastema, nearly equal in size. Zong and Ma (1983) reported approximately 22 maxillary teeth for this species; however, this count differs markedly from our results obtained through high-resolution scanning, with a discrepancy of six to seven teeth. We therefore consider the earlier count to be underestimated, likely due to methodological limitations and follow the tooth counts based on the results of the present study.</p><p>Coloration in life (Fig. 7). In life, the dorsal surface of the head black, with the lateral sides slightly paler than the central region. In some individuals, the margins of the upper and lower lips white, or the supralabials and infralabials bearing distinct white spots. On each side of the neck, an irregular milky white blotch is occasionally present; this blotch is unrelated to age or sex and occurs randomly among individuals. The dorsum of the body is uniformly black with a pronounced metallic sheen and lacks a longitudinal vertebral line. The ventral surface is predominantly uniform black or deep blackish brown, with the anterior part of the venter usually slightly paler.</p><p>Coloration in preservative. Except for the two type specimens, all other specimens were collected after 2013, and their coloration is generally similar to that in life; however, the eyes appear grayish black, the metallic sheen of the body is no longer evident, and the ventral surface appears paler.</p><p>Distribution and natural history.</p><p>At present, Achalinus jinggangensis is known to be distributed in China in Jinggangshan City and Suichuan County, Ji’an City, and Ganxian District, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province; Yanling County, Zhuzhou City, and Yizhang County, Chenzhou City, Hunan Province; Yangshan County, Qingyuan City, Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County and Renhua County, Shaoguan City, and Chao’an District, Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province; as well as Datian County, Sanming City, Fujian Province (Zong and Ma 1983; Wang et al. 2017; this study) (Fig. 2). The species exhibits a relatively broad altitudinal range, occurring from low to moderately high elevations at approximately 195–1747 m asl. (Zong and Ma 1983; Wang et al. 2017; this study). It inhabits well-preserved subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests (Fig. 8).</p><p>Based on field observations and published records, this species is nocturnal and is more frequently encountered after rainfall and under humid conditions. During the daytime, individuals typically shelter beneath rocks, leaf litter, or debris (Zong and Ma 1983; Wang et al. 2017; this study). Wang et al. (2017) reported that this species is insectivorous and oviparous, but did not provide specific specimens or observational records.</p><p>Conservation status.</p><p>Achalinus jinggangensis was previously assessed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (Wang et al. 2024). Based on the revised results of the present study, GeoCAT analysis yielded an EOO of 80,970.0 km 2 and an AOO of 16,228.8 km 2. As the species does not meet the thresholds for a threatened category under criteria B or D, we recommend retaining its current assessment as LC.</p><p>Remarks.</p><p>Zong and Ma (1983) discussed the taxonomic validity of Achalinophis Steindachner, 1913, and considered the absence of the loreal scale to represent a generic-level distinction; therefore, they recognized Achalinophis as a valid genus. In the same study, they described two specimens collected from Dajing Village, Jinggangshan, Jiangxi Province, China, as a new species, Achalinophis jinggangensis . Soon after, Zhao (1983) organized and published an article based on his discussions with M. Toriba (Japan) concerning the taxonomy and nomenclature of Chinese snakes. In that paper, M. Toriba opposed the conclusions of Zong and Ma (1983), arguing that the absence of a loreal scale in Achalinophis represents interspecific variation within the genus Achalinus Peters, 1869, rather than a diagnostic character of the generic level. Moreover, Zhao (1983) noted that all other morphological characters of Achalinophis are consistent with those of Achalinus, and therefore rejected the validity of Achalinophis as a distinct genus. Subsequently, Tian and Jiang (1986) explicitly followed the conclusions of Zhao (1983) and were the first to adopt the name Achalinus jinggangensis in their study. All subsequent works have followed this taxonomic treatment. The morphological and phylogenetic results of the present study support the conclusions of Zhao (1983) and Tian and Jiang (1986). Achalinus jinggangensis is phylogenetically nested within the genus Achalinus, and the absence of a loreal scale represents a species-level character rather than a diagnostic feature of the generic level.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/351E1D1960E350278BB63B8A2A1261CD	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Pensoft via Plazi	Xu, Yuhao;Hu, Jiahao;Qi, Shuo;Ma, Shun;Chen, Haojun;Zhang, Tierui;Zhang, Yunfei;Sun, Fanyue;Zhou, Jiajun;Xu, Jinan;Wang, Yingyong;Peng, Lifang	Xu, Yuhao, Hu, Jiahao, Qi, Shuo, Ma, Shun, Chen, Haojun, Zhang, Tierui, Zhang, Yunfei, Sun, Fanyue, Zhou, Jiajun, Xu, Jinan, Wang, Yingyong, Peng, Lifang (2026): Taxonomic reassessment of Achalinus jinggangensis (Zong & Ma, 1983) (Serpentes, Xenodermidae), with description of a new species from Zhejiang Province, China. Zoosystematics and Evolution 102 (2): 387-409, DOI: 10.3897/zse.102.183453
496DFD5924485CC9B4B94D4DDCAEC196.text	496DFD5924485CC9B4B94D4DDCAEC196.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Achalinus mirabilis Xu, Hu, Qi, Zhang, Zhou, Xu, Wang & Peng 2026	<div><p>Achalinus mirabilis Xu, Hu, Qi, Zhang, Zhou, Xu, Wang &amp; Peng sp. nov.</p><p>Figs 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, Tables 3, 4</p><p>Type materials.</p><p>Holotype. • QHU R 2025051 (Field No. LFR 2025277), adult female, collected on August 17, 2025 by J. H. Hu from <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=121.031&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=28.7149" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 121.031/lat 28.7149)">Kuocang Mountain</a>, Youxi Town, Linhai City, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China (28.7149°N, 121.031°E, 202 m asl.).</p><p>Paratypes (N = 4). • QHU R 2025053 (Field No. LFR 2025280), adult male, collected on October 17, 2025 by J. H. Hu from <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=120.9497&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=28.8151" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 120.9497/lat 28.8151)">Kuocang Mountain</a>, Kuocang Town, Linhai City, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China (28.8151°N, 120.9497°E, 853 m asl.) ; • QHU R 2025054 (Field No. LFR 2025332), adult female, road-killed specimen, and • SMNH 20250126 (Field No. LFR 2025279), subadult male, both collected by J. H. Hu on September 26, 2025 from the <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=121.0467&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=28.7299" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 121.0467/lat 28.7299)">Kuocang Mountain</a>, Youxi Town, Linhai City, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China (28.7299°N, 121.0467°E, 163 m asl.) ; • SYS r 003125 (Field No. LFR 2024187), adult female, road-killed specimen, collected by H. J. Chen and J. J. Zhou on October 18, 2024 from the <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=120.9343&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=28.7976" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 120.9343/lat 28.7976)">Kuocang Mountain</a>, Kuocang Town, Linhai City, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China (28.7976°N, 120.9343°E, 879 m asl.) .</p><p>Additional specimen</p><p>(N = 1). • QHU R 2025052 (Field No. LFR 2025278), adult female, a fragmented road-killed specimen, collected by J. H. Hu on August 24, 2025 from the <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=121.0338&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=28.7103" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 121.0338/lat 28.7103)">Kuocang Mountain</a>, Youxi Town, Linhai City, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China (28.7103°N, 121.0338°E, 217 m asl.) .</p><p>Diagnosis.</p><p>The new species Achalinus mirabilis sp. nov. is distinguished from all of its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) size medium, with a maximum SVL of 270 mm in males and 332 mm in females; (2) tail relatively short, TAL / TL ratio 0.22 in males and 0.17–0.18 in females; (3) loreal scale absent; (4) length of suture between internasals substantially longer than that between prefrontals, LSBI / LSBP ratio 1.60–3.35; (5) dorsal scales strongly keeled, arranged in 23 rows throughout the body, with the outermost row also strongly keeled and substantially enlarged; (6) infralabials 6, with the anterior three or four in contact with the first pair of chin shields; (7) two pairs of chin shields; (8) maxillary teeth 27 based on the only counted female specimen; (8) ventral scales 163–166 in males and 174–178 in females; (9) subcaudals 64–68 in males and 53–56 in females, not paired; (10) in life, the dorsum is brown to dark brown with a slight metallic sheen, and the venter is uniformly light brown.</p><p>Etymology.</p><p>The specific epithet mirabilis represents a Latin adjective in nominative singular, meaning “ marvelous ” or “ remarkable ”, and is given in reference to the distinctive morphology of this species within the genus Achalinus . In addition, the discovery of a previously unrecorded new species in Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, a highly urbanized and economically developed region, was also unexpected. Based on its known distribution, Kuocang Mountain (Kuocangshan) in Linhai City, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China, we propose the Chinese common name “ 括苍山脊蛇 ” (Kuo ̀ Ca ̄ ng Sha ̄ n Ji ̌ She ́) and the English common name “ Kuocang Moutain odd-scaled snake ”.</p><p>Description of the holotype</p><p>(Fig. 9). Morphology. An adult female in a good state of preservation. Body slender and cylindrical; SVL 332 mm, TAL 72 mm, TL 404 mm; tail relatively short, TAL / TL ratio 0.18. Head slightly distinct from the neck, HL 12.32 mm, HW 5.19 mm, HW / HL ratio 0.42. Length of the suture between the internasal substantially longer than that between prefrontal, LSBI 1.65 mm, LSBP 0.99 mm, LSBI / LSBP ratio 1.67. Eye small, ED 1.03 mm; pupil vertically subelliptic.</p><p>Head scalation. Rostrum small, triangular, slightly visible from above. Nasal subrectangular and divided, with the anterior portion slightly larger than the posterior portion; nostril oval, situated in the anterior portion of the nasal. Nasal bordered by the rostral, internasal, prefrontal, and first three supralabials. Internasals 2, subtrapezoidal, with the lateral margins distinctly shorter than the medial margins in contact with each other; each internasal in contact with the rostral anteriorly, the nasal laterally, and the prefrontal posteriorly. Prefrontals two, distinctly wider than high, each in contact with the internasal, nasal, frontal, third and fourth supralabials, and the orbit. Length of the suture between the internasal substantially longer than that between prefrontal. Loreal absent (fused with the prefrontal). Frontal single, pentagonal, pointing to the rear, wider than long; FW 2.58 mm, FL 1.96 mm, FW / FL ratio 1.32. Parietals paired, elongate, much longer than wide, in contact medially. Supraocular 1 / 1. Preocular and postocular absent. Temporals 2 + 2 + 3 / 2 + 2 + 3, with both anterior temporals entering the orbit. Supralabials 6 / 6, the 4 th – 5 th contact the eye, the last one much elongated. Infralabials 6 / 6; first pair in contact with each other posterior to the mental; first to fourth in contact with the anterior pair of chin shields. Two pairs of chin shields.</p><p>Body scalation. Dorsal scales in 23-23 - 23 rows; all dorsal scale rows, including the outermost row, are strongly keeled, with the outermost row distinctly enlarged. Ventrals 177 (plus 2 preventrals); cloacal plate single; subcaudals 56, not paired.</p><p>Dentition (Fig. 10). Maxillary teeth 27 / 27, small and slender, posteriorly curved, nearly equal in size, and without diastema.</p><p>Coloration in life (Fig. 11). In life, the dorsal surface of the head is brown, with the median area slightly darker than the lateral regions. The dorsum of the body is uniformly brown with a slight metallic sheen and lacks a longitudinal vertebral line. The ventral surfaces of the head and body are uniformly light brown, with the posterior margins of the ventral scales pale creamy white. The eyes are completely black.</p><p>Coloration in preservative (Fig. 9). After approximately four months of preservation in ethanol, the overall coloration remains similar to that in life, but the eyes have turned grayish black and the ventral surfaces have become noticeably paler.</p><p>Variation.</p><p>The main morphological characters of Achalinus mirabilis sp. nov. are listed in Table 3. The longest known male specimen is 347 mm long (QHU R 2025053, paratype; SVL 270 mm, TAL 77 mm); and the longest known female is the holotype (QHU R 2025051; measurements given above); TAL / TL ratio 0.22 in males, and 0.17–0.18 in females.</p><p>Scalation (Fig. 12). INS 2, PF 2, length of the suture between the internasal substantially longer than that between prefrontal, LSBI / LSBP ratio 1.60–3.35; loreal absent; temporals 2 + 2 + 3 or 4; SL 6, the 4 th – 5 th contact the eye, the last one much elongated; IL 6, first three or four in contact with the first pair of chin shields; two pairs of chin shields. DSR 23-23 - 23; all dorsal scale rows, including the outermost row, are strongly keeled, with the outermost row distinctly enlarged. The numbers of ventral and subcaudal scales show pronounced sexual dimorphism; VS 163–166 in males and 174–178 in females; SC 64–68 in males and 53–56 in females; VS + SC 227–234 in males and 227–233 in females.</p><p>Coloration. In life, the two known male specimens exhibit a distinctly darker dorsal coloration, being uniformly dark brown (Fig. 13 A, B), whereas the ventral surfaces are uniformly light brown. In contrast, the remaining females, observed as fresh road-killed specimens, are similar in coloration to the holotype (Fig. 13 C, D). In females, the dorsal surface of the head is brown, paler laterally than medially; the dorsum of the body is uniformly brown and lacks a longitudinal vertebral line; and the ventral surface is uniformly light brown or pale yellowish brown. Owing to the limited sample size, it remains unclear whether this color difference is related to body size or age, or reflects sexual dimorphism. In preservative, because all specimens have been preserved for a relatively short period (≤ 1 year), their overall condition and coloration remain similar to those in life, except that the eyes have turned grayish black and the ventral coloration has become paler.</p><p>Distribution and natural history.</p><p>Currently, Achalinus mirabilis sp. nov. is certainly known only from Youxi Town and Kuocang Town, Linhai City, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China, both of which are located within the Kuocang Mountain range (Fig. 2). The species occurs across a relatively wide elevational range, from 163 to 879 m asl. All live individuals and freshly road-killed specimens were encountered at night under clear weather conditions, in habitats including mountain roads near villages, bamboo forests, and well-preserved subtropical broad-leaved forests (Fig. 14).</p><p>Conservation status.</p><p>At present, Achalinus mirabilis sp. nov. is known only from a few localities within a small area of Mt. Kuocang, Linhai City, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China, with an EOO of approximately 33.1 km 2. Owing to insufficient field surveys, the species is currently assessed as Data Deficient (DD). Further targeted surveys in this area and surrounding regions are needed to clarify its true distribution range and to establish appropriate conservation and management measures.</p><p>Comparisons.</p><p>Based on both morphological and molecular evidence, Achalinus mirabilis sp. nov. is most similar to A. jinggangensis . However, it can be clearly distinguished from the latter by the following combination of characters: (1) a distinctly higher number of VS in both sexes (163–166 in males and 174–178 in females vs. 147–155 in males and 152–168 in females); (2) higher number of SC in females (53–56 vs. 45–52); (3) higher total number of VS + SC in both sexes (227–234 in males and 227–233 in females vs. 210–225 in males and 203–218 in females); (4) the first dorsal scale row strongly keeled (vs. completely smooth); (5) slightly fewer maxillary teeth (27 vs. 28–29); and (6) in life, the dorsal surface is brown to dark brown and the ventral surface is uniformly light brown (vs. in life, the dorsal surface is entirely black, and the ventral surface range from deep blackish brown to black, slightly paler anteriorly). Detailed morphological comparisons between the two species are shown in Table 4.</p><p>Within the genus Achalinus, excluding A. jinggangensis, which has been compared in detail above, only A. pingbianensis Li, Yu, Wu, Liao, Tang, Liu &amp; Guo, 2020, A. timi Ziegler, Nguyen, Pham, Nguyen, Pham, van Schingen, Nguyen &amp; Le, 2019, A. vanhoensis Ha, Ziegler, Sy, Le, Nguyen &amp; Luu, 2022, A. zugorum Miller, Davis, Luong, Do, Pham, Ziegler, Lee, De Queiroz, Reynolds &amp; Nguyen, 2020 and A. formosanus chigirai Ota &amp; Toyama, 1989 share the stable condition of lacking a loreal scale (loreal scale fused with prefrontal). Achalinus mirabilis sp. nov. can be distinguished from A. pingbianensis by having fewer number of SL (6 vs. 7), higher number of SC in males (64–68 vs. 56), and a markedly different coloration in life (brown vs. uniform black). It can be distinguished from A. timi by having 23 dorsal scale rows throughout the body (vs. 25-25 - 23), fewer number of VS in males (163–166 vs. 170), and fewer number of SC in males (64–68 vs. 72). It can be distinguished from A. vanhoensis by having 23 dorsal scale rows throughout the body (vs. 25-23 - 23), fewer number of VS in males (163–166 vs. 176), and fewer number of SC in males (64–68 vs. 84). It can be distinguished from A. zugorum by having 23 dorsal scale rows throughout the body (vs. 25-23 - 23), fewer ventral scales in males (163–166 vs. 173), fewer number of SC in both sexes (64–68 in males, 53–56 in females vs. 70 in males and 61 in females), and a markedly different coloration in life (brown vs. black to grayish black). In comparison with A. formosanus chigirai, the new species differs by having 23 dorsal scale rows throughout the body (vs. 25–27), LSBI&gt; LSBP (vs. LSBI = LSBP), a higher number of maxillary teeth (27 vs. 14), and fewer number of SC in males (64–68 vs. 96–97).</p><p>By the absence of a loreal scale, Achalinus mirabilis sp. nov. can be readily distinguished from all remaining congeners, including A. ater Bourret, 1937, A. dabieshanensis Zhang, Liu, Huang, Hu, Yu, Sun, Zhang, Wen &amp; Zhang, 2023, A. damingensis Xu, Yang, Wu, Gong, Huang &amp; Huang, 2023, A. dehuaensis Li, Wu, Xu, Zhu, Ren, Guo &amp; Dong, 2021, A. emilyae Ziegler, Nguyen, Pham, Nguyen, Pham, van Schingen, Nguyen &amp; Le, 2019, A. formosanus formosanus Boulenger, 1908, A. hainanus Huang, 1975, A. huangjietangi Huang, Peng &amp; Huang, 2021, A. hunanensis Ma, Shi, Xiang, Shu &amp; Jiang, 2023, A. jianghuaensis Huang, Liu, Zhang &amp; Wu, 2024, A. juliani Ziegler, Nguyen, Pham, Nguyen, Pham, van Schingen, Nguyen &amp; Le, 2019, A. meiguensis Hu &amp; Zhao, 1966, A. nanshanensis Li, Zhu, Xiao, Wu, Yang, Zhang &amp; Mo, 2024, A. niger Maki, 1931, A. ningshanensis ningshanensis Yang, Huang, Jiang, Burbrink, Gong, Yu, Zhang, Huang &amp; Huang, 2022, A. ningshanensis occidentalis Xu, Ma, Yang, Cai, Huang &amp; Peng, 2024, A. panzhihuaensis, A. quangi Pham, Pham, Le, Ngo, Ong, Ziegler &amp; Nguyen, 2023, A. rufescens Boulenger, 1888, A. sheni, A. spinalis Peters, 1869, A. tranganensis Luu, Ziegler, Ha, Lo, Hoang, Ngo, Le, Tran &amp; Nguyen, 2020, A. werneri Van Denburgh, 1912, A. yangdatongi Hou, Wang, Guo, Chen, Yuan &amp; Che, 2021, and A. yunkaiensis (vs. loreal scale present).</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/496DFD5924485CC9B4B94D4DDCAEC196	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Pensoft via Plazi	Xu, Yuhao;Hu, Jiahao;Qi, Shuo;Ma, Shun;Chen, Haojun;Zhang, Tierui;Zhang, Yunfei;Sun, Fanyue;Zhou, Jiajun;Xu, Jinan;Wang, Yingyong;Peng, Lifang	Xu, Yuhao, Hu, Jiahao, Qi, Shuo, Ma, Shun, Chen, Haojun, Zhang, Tierui, Zhang, Yunfei, Sun, Fanyue, Zhou, Jiajun, Xu, Jinan, Wang, Yingyong, Peng, Lifang (2026): Taxonomic reassessment of Achalinus jinggangensis (Zong & Ma, 1983) (Serpentes, Xenodermidae), with description of a new species from Zhejiang Province, China. Zoosystematics and Evolution 102 (2): 387-409, DOI: 10.3897/zse.102.183453
