Taxonomic Review of the Genus Herpetoreas (Serpentes: Natricidae), with the Description of a New Species from Tibet, China

Abstract

The taxonomic history of the Amphiesma sensu lato has long been confused, and this complex was recently divided into three genera, i.e., Amphiesma Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril, 1854 sensu stricto, Hebius Thompson, 1913, and Herpetoreas Günther, 1860. Being the least known genus, Herpetoreas is reviewed herein through an integrative taxonomic approach. Our results indicate that specimens previously referred to Hebius parallelus (Boulenger, 1890) from Mêdog, Tibet, China, represent a new species. We describe here this new species and refer it to the genus Herpetoreas; therefore, we remove Hebius parallelus from the Chinese herpetofauna. A diagnostic key to all the species of Herpetoreas is also provided. Furthermore, we re-evaluate the diagnostic characters of the three genera formerly confused with Amphiesma, namely, Amphiesma, Hebius, and Herpetoreas. We provide a key to these three morphologically similar genera. We also emphasize the importance of the maxillary teeth and hemipenial morphology in the generic diagnosis in the family Natricidae.