Reviewer name and names of any other individual's who aided in reviewer	Yan Chaochao
Do you understand and agree to our policy of having open and named reviews, and having your review included with the published papers. (If no, please inform the editor that you cannot review this manuscript.)	Yes
Is the language of sufficient quality?	No
Please add additional comments on language quality to clarify if needed	A complete English revision is required
Are all data available and do they match the descriptions in the paper?	Yes
Additional Comments	I did not find description of method for RNA-Seq in manuscript.
Are the data and metadata consistent with relevant minimum information or reporting standards? See GigaDB checklists for examples <a href="http://gigadb.org/site/guide" target="_blank">http://gigadb.org/site/guide</a>	Yes
Additional Comments
Is the data acquisition clear, complete and methodologically sound?	Yes
Additional Comments
Is there sufficient detail in the methods and data-processing steps to allow reproduction?	Yes
Additional Comments
Is there sufficient data validation and statistical analyses of data quality?	Yes
Additional Comments
Is the validation suitable for this type of data?	Yes
Additional Comments
Is there sufficient information for others to reuse this dataset or integrate it with other data?	Yes
Additional Comments	Careful language modifications are needed, particularly in the abstract and introduction sections. Here are some detailed suggestions. 1. "In recent years, P. mucrosquamatus has generated a number of poisonous snake bite cases in southeastern China.". This does not serve as an optimal starting point for the research. To enhance its impact, consider incorporating more specific statistical data, such as the annual number of people bitten or killed by the snake species. 2. "Genomics research can provide much insight in understanding toxin-production mechanisms and natural selection in vipers. ". The term 'toxin-production mechanisms' suggests an intricate process that the genome typically does not reveal directly; instead, it usually provides information about venom components rather than their underlying mechanisms. Additionally, the scope of the following study does not encompass toxin genes and natural selection. The author may consider prioritizing data publication or incorporating relevant analyses to strengthen the research. 3. " Here, we collected a male P.... 41.18% repeat element content." . This sentence is excessively lengthy, requiring revision for improved readability. 4. "97.97% genes could be annotated based on function". The statement 'annotated based on function' is not suitable in this context. 5. "venom‐conducting fangs and cheek fossa", 'cheek fossa' should be 'loreal pit'. 6. "Compared with other terrestrial vipers ...Gloydius blomhoffii and Bungarus multicinctus" need references. 7. " making the study of proteinaceous-venoms coding genes an excellent model system for the study of adaptation and nature selection". model system refer to what? study or venoms? 8. Figure 2: Including a screenshot here is unnecessary; providing the reference should suffice. 9. "After collection and identification, the specimen was quickly frozen in -80°C drikold dry ice during storage and transport in order to maintain high quality for further use. " I am somewhat confused about the tissue used here. Additionally, the author should provide information about the Animal Ethics Committee agreement or approval. 10. "the RNAseq data underwent filtration with Trimmomatic“, However, there is a lack of information on how the RNAseq was performed. Please include details about the RNAseq methodology. 11. "We produced a high-continuity P. mucrosquamatus genome assembly, with 1.53Gb total genome size,". A scaffold N50 below 500k indicates a genome with lower continuity. Further efforts are needed to improve the genome's quality. Additionally, consider providing information on the genome size calculated by the kmer method. 12. "For the purpose of checking the quality of our assembly, " I would recommend comparing quality indicators, such as N50 and Gene Number, with those of other genomes.
Any Additional Overall Comments to the Author	This study presents the genome of the venomous snake Protobothrops mucrosquamatus, utilizing stLFR and WGS data. The research further assesses the genome's quality and performs repeat and gene annotation. As this journal prioritizes data publication, an evaluation of innovativeness is not conducted. However, the current genome quality does not meet modern standards, further efforts are needed to improve the genome's quality. Moreover, It would be beneficial to conduct an analysis of the toxin genes detected in the genome.
Recommendation	Accept