taxonID	type	description	language	source
7E85E3AC41CC519B9D6F9D682BFCF2C5.taxon	description	Table 1; Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, S 1 – S 16	en	Poyarkov, Nikolay A., Skorinova, Dana D., Bragin, Andrey M., Kolchanov, Veniamin V., Gorin, Vladislav A., Trofimets, Alexey V., Yuzefovich, Alexander P., Le, Dac Xuan, Nguyen, Tan Van, Skutschas, Pavel P. (2025): Integrative taxonomy reveals a new unstriped Ichthyophis Fitzinger, 1826 from Vietnam and provides new data on diagnostic osteological traits for Asian tailed caecilians (Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae). Vertebrate Zoology 75: 405-440, DOI: 10.3897/vz.75.e149399
7E85E3AC41CC519B9D6F9D682BFCF2C5.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The specific name “ griseivermis ” is a Latin noun in the nominative singular, given in apposition, derived from the Latin adjective “ griseus ” for “ grey ” and the Latin noun “ vermis ” for “ worm. ” The new species is named in reference to its characteristic uniform grey body coloration. The specific epithet also alludes to Grey Worm, the commander of the Unsullied, the warrior-eunuchs of Astapor with an unparalleled reputation for combat in George R. R. Martin’s fictional work “ A Song of Ice and Fire ” (also known as “ Game of Thrones ”). We suggest the following common names for the new species: “ Grey Worm Caecilian ” (in English), “? ch giun xám B? c Trung B? ” (in Vietnamese), and “ Seryi rybozmey ” (“ ????? ????????, ” in Russian).	en	Poyarkov, Nikolay A., Skorinova, Dana D., Bragin, Andrey M., Kolchanov, Veniamin V., Gorin, Vladislav A., Trofimets, Alexey V., Yuzefovich, Alexander P., Le, Dac Xuan, Nguyen, Tan Van, Skutschas, Pavel P. (2025): Integrative taxonomy reveals a new unstriped Ichthyophis Fitzinger, 1826 from Vietnam and provides new data on diagnostic osteological traits for Asian tailed caecilians (Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae). Vertebrate Zoology 75: 405-440, DOI: 10.3897/vz.75.e149399
7E85E3AC41CC519B9D6F9D682BFCF2C5.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. The new species Ichthyophis griseivermis sp. nov. differs from other members of the genus Ichthyophis by the following combination of the morphological characters: unstriped body lacking lateral yellow stripe; adult total length 206 – 242 mm (based on two available specimens); snout blunt and rounded (snout length / head length ratio 0.06 – 0.08); tentacle aperture located closer to eye than to naris (tentacle aperture-naris distance / tentacle aperture-eye distance ratio 2.1 – 2.2); premaxillary and maxillary teeth 44 – 48, vomero-palatine teeth 43 – 48, dentary teeth 38, inner mandibular teeth 25 – 33; tail very short, acuminate, ending in a nipple-like cap; annuli angulate, total 301 – 306 (dorsal count), four interupted by cloacal disc, one posterior to cloacal disc, the degree of annuli angulation decreasing from head to cloaca with grooves appearing almost orthoplicate at mid-body and posteriorly; vertebrae 111 – 112; scales in one series per annulus (dosolaterally), present only in the posterior half of body.	en	Poyarkov, Nikolay A., Skorinova, Dana D., Bragin, Andrey M., Kolchanov, Veniamin V., Gorin, Vladislav A., Trofimets, Alexey V., Yuzefovich, Alexander P., Le, Dac Xuan, Nguyen, Tan Van, Skutschas, Pavel P. (2025): Integrative taxonomy reveals a new unstriped Ichthyophis Fitzinger, 1826 from Vietnam and provides new data on diagnostic osteological traits for Asian tailed caecilians (Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae). Vertebrate Zoology 75: 405-440, DOI: 10.3897/vz.75.e149399
7E85E3AC41CC519B9D6F9D682BFCF2C5.taxon	description	Description of the holotype. Adult female (Figs 6 – 8), specimen in a good state of preservation (Fig. S 15); a small oblique scar on the dorsal surface of body above the cloaca (Fig. 7 E, G), small (<15 mm) midventral longitudinal incision at midbody with some viscera protruding, including yellowish round mature ova (ca. 6 mm in diameter). Body subcylindrical; head, nuchal region, and trunk slightly dorsoventrally compressed. Body tapering posteriorly, more abruptly at about one-fifth of body length (Fig. 6 C – D), ending in blunt tail tip, with a small nipple-like terminal cap (Fig. 7 E – H). Tail downturned towards tip, very short (TL / TAL ratio 85.5), slightly longer than tentacle-snout distance (TAL / STTA ratio 0.68). Head longer than wide (HW / HL ratio 0.70); head dorsal surface slightly flattened (Fig. 7 A – B). Head somewhat more like V- than U-shaped in dorsal view (Fig. 7 C). In dorsal view, head width at the level of mouth corner notably smaller than the width of the first collar (HW / BW 1 ratio 0.92); head narrowing towards the tentacles and gradually tapering from the tentacles to the snout (Fig. 7 C). In lateral view, head conically tapering on the distance between the first collar and nares (Fig. 7 A – B). Nares located much closer to the tip of the snout than to eye (ES / EN ratio 1.4; Fig. 4 A – B). Lip margin flat and straight; corners of mouth notably closer to the throat than to top of head (Fig. 7 A – B); mouth subterminal, with the upper and lower lips nearly identical in length (SP / UJL ratio 0.10; Fig. 7 D); in ventral view, gular region flat (Fig. 7 D). Eyes very small (ED / HL ratio 0.07), eye diameter slightly larger than that of naris and subequal to tentacle aperture; covered by grayish-white semitranslucent skin; eyes round, surrounded by narrow whitish ring, forming a dark-gray central disc, with a very small round pupil visible through the skin (Fig. 7 A – B). In lateral view, eyes located almost equidistant from lip and top of head (EL / ETH 0.91) (Fig. 7 A – B). Tentacle apertures located over two times closer to eye than to naris (EN / ET ratio 2.6; TN / ET ratio 2.2; Fig. 7 A – B), almost reaching the edge of the upper lip; subequal in size to the eye (Fig. 7 A – B). Tentacular papilli elevated above the adjacent skin and visible in dorsal, lateral, and ventral views (Fig. 7 A – D). Naris small, oval with anterolateral orientation (Fig. 7 A – B). Teeth small, notably recurved, almost hook-shaped, located in two rows on upper and lower jaws (PMM 44, VP 43, DE 38, IM 25); outer mandibular tooth series approximately the same length as vomero-palatine tooth series. Tongue triangular with an acuminate tip, plicate posteriorly, lacking a distinct longitudinal medial groove; choanae narrow. The first collar slightly wider than the head at the mouth corner level (HW / BW 1 ratio 0.92); the second collar gradually widens posteriorly; collar grooves widely incomplete dorsally, more distinct on the ventral surface (Fig. 7 D) and on the sides (Fig. 7 A – B); medially, anterior and posterior borders of collar region not well discernable, edged by the anteriormost body annuli (Fig. 7 C – D); transverse nuchal grooves on dorsal surface of collar absent; in ventral view, second collar slightly longer than first (C 1 / C 2 ratio 0.91); the anteriormost annuli complete in both ventral and dorsal aspects (Fig. 6 C – D); body grooves encircle venter by forming an angle pointing towards tail, with the degree of angulation decreasing from head to cloaca: grooves distinctly angulated in the anterior one-third of body length (Fig. 6 D) and appear almost orthoplicate at mid-body and posteriorly, with only a small medial portion of groove (ca. 0.5 mm in length) forming a shallow angle (Fig. 6 B). Total number of annuli TAD 306, TAV 298 (dorsal and ventral counts, respectively); vertebrae 112. Cloacal slit longitudinal, located in an oval cloacal disc, interrupting four annuli on both sides (Fig. 7 H). Tail bearing two annular grooves delimiting a single annulus and terminating in a distinct nipple-like terminal cap (Fig. 7 G – H); scales in one series per annulus (in dorsolateral view), present only in the posterior half of body; scales oval in shape.	en	Poyarkov, Nikolay A., Skorinova, Dana D., Bragin, Andrey M., Kolchanov, Veniamin V., Gorin, Vladislav A., Trofimets, Alexey V., Yuzefovich, Alexander P., Le, Dac Xuan, Nguyen, Tan Van, Skutschas, Pavel P. (2025): Integrative taxonomy reveals a new unstriped Ichthyophis Fitzinger, 1826 from Vietnam and provides new data on diagnostic osteological traits for Asian tailed caecilians (Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae). Vertebrate Zoology 75: 405-440, DOI: 10.3897/vz.75.e149399
7E85E3AC41CC519B9D6F9D682BFCF2C5.taxon	distribution	Distribution and natural history notes. Currently, I. griseivermis sp. nov. is known from two protected areas in northern Vietnam: from Xuan Lien NP in Thanh Hoa Province and Pu Hoat NR in Nghe An Province (Fig. 1). Though at present the new species can be considered as endemic to a narrow montane area in the western parts of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces of Vietnam, its occurrence in the adjacent parts of Houaphanh Province of Laos is anticipated; both known localities are located just 3 – 5 km from the Vietnam-Laos national border. The possible occurrence of the new species in Ben En NP in Thanh Hoa Province and Pu Huong NR in Nghe An Province also cannot be excluded, and further field survey efforts are needed to clarify the extent of its distribution. The type locality is at an elevation of 800 m asl. The holotype was found on the bank of a small forest stream with a stony bottom and steep clay bank (Fig. S 17). The surrounding secondary montane evergreen forest is severely damaged by regular logging, but some old trees remain, including Cunninghamia konishii Hayata (Cupressaceae), forming mixed polydominant forests with Symingtonia populnea (R. Br. ex Griff.) (Hamamelidaceae), Carallia suffruticosa Ridl. (Rhizophoraceae), Engelhardtia roxburghiana Wall (Juglandaceae), Guarea excelsa Kunth (Meliaceae), Castanopsis ferox (Rosb.) (Fagaceae), Michelia mediocris Dandy (Magnoliaceae), Pellionia radicans var. grande (Gagnep.) H. Schroter (Urticaceae), Ardisia quinquegona Blume (Primulaceae), Litsea acutivena Hayata and Litsea yunnanensis Y. C. Yang & P. H. Huang (Lauraceae), and Alniphyllum fortunei (Hemsley) Makino (Styracaceae). The undergrowth is well developed; soil is densely covered with grasses, sedges, and fern thickets. The holotype was found in a small ravine at the foothill of a low mountain range composed of clays and shales with a limestone base. The holotype was found at night (ca. 23: 00 h) while slowly crawling among the stones on the banks of a small mountain stream during a rain with an ambient air temperature around 19 ° C. The holotype was observed crawling along the unflooded part of the bank covered with silt and large pebbles about 30 cm from the water’s edge. The paratype male was found in the daytime (10: 00 h) as a dead, desiccated specimen on a sandy bank of a river among large stones at an elevation of ca. 815 m asl. The two localities are separated by a direct distance of 31 km. Though we don’t have direct observations on the new species reproductive biology, we can assume that, like the other members of the genus Ichthyophis, I. griseivermis sp. nov. is oviparous with aquatic larvae, which is also supported by the large size of the eggs in the new species. Like all caecilians, the new species is carnivorous; however, we do not have specific information about its diet. Other species of amphibians recorded at the same habitat in the Xuan Lien NP and in Pu Hoat NR included: Boulenophrys palpebralespinosa (Bourret, 1937), Leptobrachella eos (Ohler et al., 2011), Ophryophryne pachyproctus Kou, 1985, Xenophrys lancangica Lyu, Wang & Wang, 2023 (Megophryidae); Polypedates megacephalus Hallowell, 1861 (Rhacophoridae); Amolops tanfuilianae Sheridan et al., 2023, Hylarana cubitalis (Smith, 1917), Odorrana cf. chloronota (Günther, 1876) (Ranidae); Quasipaa ohlera e Pham et al., 2025, Limnonectes bannaensis Ye et al., 2007, Fejervarya limnocharis (Gravenhorst, 1829) (Dicroglossidae); and Tylototriton thaiorum Poyarkov, Nguyen & Arkhipov, 2021 (Salamandridae).	en	Poyarkov, Nikolay A., Skorinova, Dana D., Bragin, Andrey M., Kolchanov, Veniamin V., Gorin, Vladislav A., Trofimets, Alexey V., Yuzefovich, Alexander P., Le, Dac Xuan, Nguyen, Tan Van, Skutschas, Pavel P. (2025): Integrative taxonomy reveals a new unstriped Ichthyophis Fitzinger, 1826 from Vietnam and provides new data on diagnostic osteological traits for Asian tailed caecilians (Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae). Vertebrate Zoology 75: 405-440, DOI: 10.3897/vz.75.e149399
