First Record of Achalinus juliani Ziegler et al., 2019 (Serpentes: Xenodermidae) from China

Achalinus juliani Ziegler, 2019 was previously known only from northeastern Vietnam. Here, we report the first record of A. juliani from China, based on both morphological and molecular data. This finding extends the species’ known distribution range by approximately 60.5 km northward into Guangxi, China. With this addition, the total number of Achalinus species recorded in China rises to 22. The discovery of A. juliani in Guangxi not only expands its geographic range but also provides new insights into its phylogeography and potential genetic divergence.