A recent H. retardatus shot

[henk]

Well here arte some recent shots I made on some of my animals
The first one is on the 2nd breeding group of H. retardatus. These animals seem to retain more of their brassy coloration even when adult.

This is how they looked when they were juveniles

 

[anthony]

henk very nice sals you keep.
tony.

 

[benjamin]

Retardatus, great scientific name

. I wonder what kind of scientist named them.

 

[jesper]

Hmm Ben, retard(tard) is slang, the original latin meaning is just late(I think). I guess it is short for being late in the development of your mental abilities. Perhaps the sal was described before this slang became popular?

 

[jesper]

Hi Henk,
Very nice pics as always.
Many Hynobius seem to have these brilliant patches of colour that is situated inside the skin, this one almost seems to be golden!
Do you have any idea what substances that produce this luster?

 

[benjamin]

I wonder how there could be late salamander. Perhaps late to be discovered, or to breed, or perhaps late to lose their brassy juvenile colouring?

 

[henk]

They are not late in breeding though, sionce this often happens around january/february which is quick and still quite cold overhere. Not all Hynobiids have such brilliant colors though, I feel this type of coloration is quite exceptional in retardatus and as most species do have quite some blue colors while young, most of them loose this while ageing. So there's lots varieties in coloration even within a species. But I'm sure Tim has seen more of this then me.

The yellow coloration comes from cells that stand of yellow coloration, I think this is called guanophores. I have had the same coloration appear in Aneides ferreus while bringing out of the cold and into sunny warmer weather. They turned from dark to very brassy yellow.

Well for this H. retadatus group it has nothing to do with that : they just stay this way. THe other group -which I have bred before- just decolors in breeding season. I'm curious to see what this unusual group will do next spring..