<i>Hynobius boulengeri</i>

[TJ]

Here's one that I haven't posted pics of before:

(kept by Mr. Okamoto)

This is reputed to be Japan's largest Hynobius, reaching 20cm in length.

(Message edited by TJ on May 27, 2005)

 

[TJ]

And here's a range map for this species:

It's found the islands of Shikoku and Kyushu, as on the Kii Peninsula of Honshu Island.

 

[dot]

Adorable!

 

[TJ]

It sure is

The purplish color, lack of dorsal patterning, and large size make it easily distinguishable from all other Japanese salamanders.

"The genus Pachypalaminus was originally erected for this species on the basis of its having a lacrimal bone in the skull, but it is now known that all Hynobius have a lacrimal bone, so there is no foundation for classifying it as anything other than Hynobius."

Source: Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Japan (Goris & Maeda 2004)

They are said in the book to often prey on a large species of earthworm that grows to 16 cm in length.

 

[henk]

And that's how mine looked when I got him as a juvenile (just some cm long) :charcoal black
http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0601+0192

 

[TJ]

I had no idea the juvies got so dark!

Extraordinary

 

[henk]

In fact this one was reared as a larvae from eggs in Japan at temperatures of approx 20°C... which I found incredible for a streamtype animal.

 

[paris]

to me it looks like my tokyos -they have no pattern too....where is the difference im missing?

 

[TJ]

Large size, purplish color...

 

[henk]

Paris I got tokyoensis too but mine do have colors. Do you have a shot of yours to compare ??

You can see some shots of mine at : http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/amphib_query?rel-genus=like&rel-species=like&rel-common_name=like&rel-family=equals&rel-ordr=equals&rel-isocc=like&rel-description=like&rel-distribution=like&rel-life_history=like&rel-trends_and_threats=like&rel-relation_to_humans=like&rel-comments=like&max=200&orderbyaw=Family&where-genus=&where-species=tokyoensis&where-common_name=&where-family=any&where-ordr=any&where-isocc=any&rel-species_account=matchboolean&where-species_account=&rel-declinecauses=equals&where-declinecauses=any&rel-iucn=equals&where-iucn=&rel-cites=equals&where-cites=

 

[paris]

well i dont have GOOD shots -just the junk ones i took when they came in....i think i was thinking of my black -not my tokyo that look like them-they are a plain colour and no spots. -they have gotten fatter but no real colour has developed -they seem to be slate coloured like those he has here-but i have not held them in the light to look at them good.-this is their old photo

 

[henk]

Well on this picture they do look skinny ,which offcourse has to do with the import. My nigrescens are having some spots still present after 2 years of age : the first 3 (all blue) is as they were but 1 year, the 4rd darker image is pretty recent :
http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/img_query?where-namesoup=nigrescens&rel-namesoup=like&where-lifeform=Amphibian&where-photographer=any&rel-location=like&where-location=&where-continent=none&where-country=none&where-state=none&where-county=none&rel-kwid=equals&where-kwid=

Seems like you have adults, so mine will probably still darken up. But really the boulengeri is the giant among hynobius so you can not confuse them by their size.

 

[TJ]

Here's a new paper to keep an eye out for:

Biochemical phylogenetics and historical biogeography of Hynobius boulengeri and H. stejnegeri (Amphibian: Caudata) from the Kyushu region, Japan

By K. Nishikawa, M. Matsui and S. Tanabe.

Herpetologica. 61 (1):54-62. 2005.

 

[TJ]

 

[paul]

Tim,. that ones soo cute i could eat it...
Great sallies....

 

[TJ]

Thanks, Paul.

Yeah, I love that luscious purple coloration. I reckon it'd taste like grape if eaten...

That picture was taken last year at the Japan Salamander Center in Mie Prefecture -- one of the few photos that survived the demise of my external hard drive. Thought I'd better post it here before I lose it too!

 

[pamela]

Great pic Tim! That has to be the Neopolitan Mastiff of the newts!

Impressive animals. Thank you.