Reappraisal of the systematics of two sympatric coral snakes (Reptilia: Elapidae) from Northeast India

Systematics of the Asian coral snake genus <i>Sinomicrurus</i> Slowinski et al., 2001, was recently reviewed; however, the lack of molecular data for <i>S. macclellandi</i> (Reinhardt, 1844), especially topotypical specimens, renders most taxonomic revisions mutable. This largely hinders the reappraisal of the putative synonyms of <i>S. macclellandi</i> which may be distinct and deserve recognition to highlight their evolutionary importance and eventual conservation. We reassessed the systematic status of Northeast Indian populations of <i>S. macclellandi</i> that also included topotypic material, based on the combination of morphology and genetic data (mitochondrial and nuclear genes). We uncovered morphological and genetic evidence for resurrecting <i>S. gorei</i> comb. nov., from the synonymy of <i>S. macclellandi</i> and elevating it to a full species rank, previously recognised as a colour variant of <i>S. macclellandi</i>. We redescribed the species based on a total of 36 adult specimens examined from Mizoram, along with the type material from Assam, as well as specimens from Bangladesh. Apart from the genetic distinction of <i>S. gorei</i> from the other congeners, it is also morphologically diagnosable from its closest sympatric species <i>S. macclellandi</i> var. typica, in bearing a suit of somatic and osteological features.