A revision of Lycodon tristrigatus (Serpentes: Colubridae) in Borneo, with the description of a new species from Gunung Penrissen, Sarawak

We present a systematic revision of Lycodon tristrigatus based on morphological and genetic data. A recent study found that the Gunung Penrissen population (western Sarawak, Borneo) is highly divergent from other Bornean populations based on genetic analyses. Here, we reanalysed the published mtDNA and SNP data and conducted additional morphological assessments to clarify the taxonomic status of this population. Our results show that the Gunung Penrissen population forms a distinct genetic lineage and is diagnosable by a unique combination of morphological characters relative to L. tristrigatus sensu stricto and closely related congeners. We therefore describe the Gunung Penrissen population as a new species. This discovery underscores Gunung Penrissen as an important centre of reptile endemism in Borneo.