Herpetoreas, Gunther, 1860

Nguyen, Tan Van, Lalremsanga, Hmar Tlawmte, Biakzuala, Lal & Vogel, Gernot, 2024, Taxonomic reassessment of the Herpetoreas xenura (Wall, 1907) (Squamata: Serpentes: Natricidae) from Myanmar with description of a new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 932, pp. 158-203 : 179

Based on literature ( Lalremsanga et al. 2022; Ren et al. 2022); and our material, we propose an updated key to the genus

Herpetoreas .

1. Subcaudals single .............................................................................................................................. 2

– Subcaudals divided ........................................................................................................................... 3

2. Max TL up to 575 mm, ventrals <155 ................................................................... H. davidi sp. nov.

– Max TL up to 870 mm, ventrals> 155 ......................................................... H. xenura ( Wall, 1907)

3. Cloacal plate single ....................................................................................... H. pealii (Sclater, 1891)

– Cloacal plate divided ........................................................................................................................ 4

4. Ventrals fewer than 168 ............................................ H. tpser Ren, Jiang, Huang, David & Li, 2022

– Ventrals no less than 168 .................................................................................................................. 5

5. Tail relatively long, TaL/TL> 0.300 ................................................................................................... .......................................................... H. burbrinki Guo, Zhu, Liu, Zhang, Li, Huang & Pyron, 2014

– Tail relatively short, TaL/TL ≤ 0.300 ................................................................................................ 6

6. Ventrals <190 ............................................ H. murlen Lalremsanga, Bal, Vogel & Biakzuala, 2022

– Ventrals ≥ 190 ................................................................................................................................... 7

7. A higher proportion of the length of the tail with 4 supracaudal scale rows than that with 6 supracaudal scale rows high, SC4/SC6 = 1.43; weekly keeled only on five to seven mid-dorsal scale rows; VEN 205–234 [x = 220.8] in males, 191–216 [x = 202.1] in females ............... H. platyceps (Blyth, 1854)

– A lower proportion of the length of the tail with 4 supracaudal scale rows than that with 6 supracaudal scale rows high, SC4/SC6 = 0.53; all keeled but some may not be keeled in outermost mid-dorsal scale rows; VEN 193–207 [x = 200.3] in males, 174–185 [x = 181.2] in females ............................ ................................................................................................................... H. sieboldii Günther, 1860