Complete mitochondrial genomes of Boiga kraepelini and Hebius craspedogaster (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae) and their phylogenetic implications

Abstract

The complete sequence of the mitochondrial genome is a powerful tool for studying phylogenetic relationships and molecular evolution in various species. In this work, the mitogenomes of Boiga kraepelini and Hebius craspedogaster were sequenced and characterized for the first time. The lengths of the B. kraepelini and H. craspedogaster mitogenomes were 17,124 bp and 17,120 bp, respectively, and both included 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, two rRNAs and two control regions. The arrangements of these mitochondrial genes were the same in B. kraepelini and H. craspedogaster. In addition, both genome compositions showed A+T bias (59.03%, 60.93%) and had positive AT skews (0.179, 0.117) and negative GC skews (-0.397, -0.348). The phylogenetic results illustrated a close relationship between B. kraepelini and the genus Lycodon. Moreover, H. craspedogaster was clustered with other Hebius snakes and closely related to other Natricinae species. These results will provide references for further research on the phylogeny of Colubridae.