Pleistocene fossil snakes (Squamata, Reptilia) from Shanyangzhai Cave, Hebei, China

ABSTRACT

Shanyangzhai Cave, located in Hebei Province, North China, has yielded a large number of snake bones dated back to the late middle Pleistocene and late Pleistocene. These snakes are represented by at least six taxa: three colubrids (Elaphe cf. schrenckii, Elaphe cf. dione, Lycodon sp.), one natricid (Rhabdophis tigrinus), and two viperids (Gloydius sp1. and Gloydius sp2.). Most of the identified taxa still occur on the research area, except for Elaphe schrenckii. The snake fauna of Shanyangzhai Cave represents the first Pleistocene snake remains described in any detail from a cave locality in North China. The bones in Shanyangzhai Cave also represent the first fossil record of pit vipers in China.

KEYWORDS:

• China
• Pleistocene
• Elaphe
• Lycodon
• Rhabdophis
• Gloydius

Acknowledgments

This study was aided by the permission to observe modern comparative skeletons under the care of Liu Jun, Yi Hong-yu, Shi Jing-song and Li Dong-sheng of the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Paleoanthropology. Gong Hu-jun, Wang Wei, Zhao Hong-wei and Ben Gui-yun coordinated and implemented the fieldwork.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China [41372020,41472013].