A new species of xenodermid snake, Achalinus nanshanensis H. Li, L.-Q. Zhu, Z.-Q. Zhang & X.-Y. Mo, sp. nov., is described based on three specimens collected from Nanshan National Park and Tongdao County of southwest Hunan Province. This new species is genetically distinct amongst its congeners with the mitochondrial COI uncorrected p-distance ranging from 4.4% (in A. yangdatongi) to 17.7% (in A. meiguensis). In addition, this new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) dorsal scales with 23 or 25 rows throughout and strongly keeled; (2) tail relatively longer so that TaL/ToL = 0.215–0.248; (3) length of suture between internasals significantly longer than that between prefrontals, LSBI/LSBP = 1.66–1.84; (4) single loreal scale present; (5) SPL 6 in number, with the fourth and fifth contacting eye; (6) IFL 6 in number, with the first three touching the first pair of chin shields; (7) TMP is 2-2-4/2-2(3)-4, with the anterior pair elongated and in contact with the eye; (8) ventrals 2 + 147–158; (9) subcaudals 64–77, unpaired; (10) dorsal body brownish black, with a bright yellow neck collar extending to the head and abdomen in the occipital region. The recognition of the new species increases the number of described Achalinus species to 28, of which 21 are found in China.

A new leaf litter toad, Leptobrachella yongshunensissp. nov., is described on the basis of morphological, acoustic, and molecular data in this study. The new species was distributed in Xiaoxi National Nature Reserve, Yongshun County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province, China. Phylogenetical analysis revealed that the new species is sister species of L. wulingensis (p-distance 0.019 in 16s rRNA gene, p-distance 0.073 in COI gene). The duration of advertisement call was 194.2 ± 6.7 ms, the mean dominant frequency of the first note was 3.885 ± 0.066 kHz, and the mean dominant frequency of the second note was 3.914 ± 0.052 kHz. The new species can be distinguished from its congers by the following morphological characters: snout-vent length (SVL) 27.2–28.9 in males, SVL 26.2–31.6 in females; black spots on flanks; toes webbing rudimentarily; narrow fringes on toes; creamy white ventral body with indistinct black speckling at margins; dorsal body with sparse large warts, dense little wart grains, and longitudinal ridges; head width greater than head length; tibiotarsal articulation reaching to anterior edge of the eye; brick-red color in the dorsal surface; upper parts of iris bright coppery in life. We still supplemented the molecular data of the COI gene of L. wulingensis for further research. The discovery of the new species not only enhances the species diversity of the Wuling Mountains, but also suggests the hidden species diversity in the area.

A new species of Xenodermatid snake, Achalinus jianghuaensis sp. nov., is described based on an adult male specimen collected from Jianghua County, Yongzhou, Hunan Province, China. The new species can be distinguished from other known species of the genus Achalinus by morphological differences and genetic divergence (p-distance 4.7%, COI gene). The new species differs from its congeners in the following features: (1) dorsal scales throughout 23 rows, strongly keeled; (2) tail relatively long, the ratio of TaL to TL is 0.28:1; (3) suture between internasals remarkably longer than that between prefrontals; (4) loreal single; (5) supralabials six, the fourth and fifth in contact with the eye; (6) infralabials five, the first three in contact with first pair of chin shields; (7) temporals arranged in three rows, 2 – 2 – 4; (8) ventral scales 155; (9) subcaudals 72, arranged in a single row; and (10) dorsal surface of head and body greyish black, venter pale black, the occipital yellow-white patch extending to the head and abdomen. The description of A. jianghuaensis sp. nov. from China brings the total number of Achalinus species up to 28.

The newt genus Tylototriton is widely distributed in east, southeast, and south Asia. Previous studies have shown that basic surveys of this genus are far from comprehensive, and unknown species still exist within the group. In this study, we described a new species of this genus, Tylototriton gaowangjienensissp. nov., from Gaowangjie National Nature Reserve in Hunan Province, China, based on evidence from molecular identification and morphological comparisons. Additionally, we conducted phylogenetic analysis of the genus to elucidate the taxonomic status of the new species. Based on combined mitochondrial 16S rRNA and ND2 gene sequences, the phylogenetic tree supported the new species as a member of the T. wenxianensis species subclade in the subgenus Yaotriton. It can be distinguished from its congeners by the combination of the following characteristics: (1) medium-sized body; (2) finger tips extending beyond the snout while forelimbs stretched forward; (3) tips of forelimbs and hindlimbs reaching and overlapping when folded towards the body; (4) snout edge round; (5) absence of small papillae in the male cloacal fissure; (6) dorsal ridges narrow, with width smaller than the eye diameter; (7) head length (HDL) greater than head width (HDW) (HDL/HDW = 1.04~1.22); (8) orange markings absence on the parotoid; (9) nodule-like warts on body sides continuous; (10) vomerine teeth not connected at the tip, extending to the occipital bone at the posterior end.

Through morphological comparison and phylogenetic analyses based on the COI gene, two new species of the large Asian millipede genus Epanerchodus were identified from cave samples collected in the Wuling Mountains, Hunan Province, China. These species are designated as Epanerchodus xiaoxiensissp. nov. and Epanerchodus shibadongensissp. nov. This study also provides an updated species checklist for the genus Epanerchodus in China, along with a dichotomous key to the cave-dwelling species of the genus in the country.

Gordius wulingensissp. nov., a newly described horsehair worm, parasitizes Tachycines (Orthoptera, Rhaphidophoridae). Free-living specimens are mainly found in karstic cave puddles. In recent years, a total of 37 creamy white horsehair worms were collected from various caves in the Wuling Mountains. Characteristic for the species is that males exhibit concentrated bristles at the tips of the inner lobes and scattered bristles along the posterior half of the caudal lobe. The inner wall of the cloacal opening displays honeycombed areoles. The body cuticle contains dense bristles in the anterior and posterior ends; the density of bristles is decreasing in the mid-body. Distinct longitudinal sharp ridges are visible on the ventral and dorsal surfaces. Adults are present in caves year-round, while the entire life cycle is completed within the caves. In the laboratory, specimens can be kept alive for more than 3 months.