Zening Chen

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Teacher at Guangxi Normal University

The white-lipped tree viper, Trimeresurus albolabris Gray, is one of the most common species of the genus Trimeresurus with a wide distribution from India eastwards to China and southwards to Indonesia. However, this species was previously split into five geographical clades with significant genetic divergence. Recent surveys in Yingjiang County, Y...

The reed snakes of the genus Calamaria Boie, 1827 are one of the largest groups of Asian snakes, distributed from northeast India to the Maluku Islands of east Indonesia. Recent research on the genus in China has revealed that the species diversity of the group was underestimated. In this study, morphological comparisons and mitochondrial DNA analy...

Simple Summary Cobras (Naja Laurenti, 1768) are a group of well-known highly venomous snakes, which cause numerous cases of snakebites every year, especially in South Asia and Southern China. Taxonomic framework is essential for the medical treatment of snake bites and accurate antivenin development. However, the taxonomy of Asian cobras is still p...

Abstract The over‐exploitation of land resources poses a serious threat to biodiversity on a global scale. Changes in land‐use and human exploitation have had a major impact on wild populations and their habitat in China. We assessed how habitat quality has changed over time (1995–2020). Specifically, we analyzed how the habitat quality of crocodil...

Simple Summary Climate change is one of the most significant global challenges we face this century, and all species will likely be affected by it. Climate change may cause organisms to advance their phenology, delay reproduction, shift their ranges northwards, or even reduce their range. Reptiles, as typical ectotherms, are more sensitive to clima...

Captive animals and wild animals may exhibit different characteristics due to the heterogeneity of their living environments. The gut microbiota play an important role in the digestion and absorption, energy metabolism, immune regulation, and physiological health of the host. However, information about the gut microbiota of captive and wild Gekko g...

The pit vipers of the genus Trimeresurus Lacépède, 1804 is one of the largest groups of Asian snakes, distributed from India to China and Indonesia. Recent surveys in Jiangcheng and Simao, Yunnan Province, China resulted in a new species previously allocated to T. albolabris. Combining morphological and molecular data, we describe it as Trimeresuru...

Kraits of the genus Bungarus Daudin 1803 are widely known venomous snakes distributed from Iran to China and Indonesia. Here, we use a combination of mitochondrial DNA sequence data and morphological data to describe a new species from Yingjiang County, Yunnan Province, China: Bungarus suzhenae sp. nov . Phylogenetically, this species forms a monop...

An investigation of the taxonomic status of Pareas hamptoni (Hampton's Slug snake) based on morphological and molecular data revealed a new distinct species from the Golden Triangle region (comprising parts of southern China, and adjacent Laos and Thailand). The new species is shown to be a sister species to P. hamptoni but can be separated from th...

Parafimbrios has been reported in Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. In this paper, based on morphological and molecular data, Parafimbrios lao was reported as the first record of a genus and species of odd-scaled snake in China. This record extends the extent of occurrence to 65,000 km2 and the area of occurrence to 20 km2.

The genus Rhabdophis is a group of widely distributed snakes with more than 20 species. Recent field msurveys uncovered a species in southwestern China, which has long been considered as R. pentasupralabialis. Combined molecular and morphological analyses revealed it as a new species Rhabdophis chiwen sp. nov. Based on 12 specimens, this new specie...

A new species of natricid snake, Smithophis linearis sp. nov., is described on the basis of a single recently collected specimen from Yingjiang County, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China, and three historical specimens from Yunnan and from northeastern Myanmar. The new species is assigned to the genus Smithophis on the basis of its single...

Species from the Trimeresurus popeiorum complex (Subgenus: Popeia) is a very complex group. T. popeiorum is the only Popeia species known from China. During the past two years, five adult Popeia specimens (4 males, 1 female) were collected from Yingjiang County, Southern Yunnan, China. Molecular, morphological and ecological data show distinct diff...

As an endangered animal group, mossy frog (genus Theloderma) has attracted the attention of biologists and wildlife conservationists. Clarifying the taxonomic status and distribution of each species in Theloderma is important to determine the conservation status for each species, establish appropriate conservation strategies and probe the speciatio...

The Hynobius maoershanensis is a member of hynobiidae, endemic to Mountain Maoer in Guangxi province, China. There is a little molecular research about it so far since it was first found and reported in 2006. Twenty-five polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized using 454 sequencing. To characterize each locus, 29 individuals...