Paramesotriton fuzhongensis

[suzanne]

I balt 2 Fuzhong Wartys yesterday.

would like to know some little info,
how do you sex them??
how big will they get??

and any other info you think will be inportant.

 

[joeri]

You can start by clicking this link and compare if it really are these newts you have: often newts are mislabeled in petstores.

http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Paramesotriton/P_fuzhongensis.shtml

 

[suzanne]

yes thats them, I spent 3 hours last nightID'ing them, so deffinotly know what they are.

The pey shop acherly had them labbled as, "dog faced newt" so untill last night I had no idea what they where.

 

[jesper]

So they are not guanxiensis then?

 

[paris]

thats why common names suck for ID-ing a newt......in my area the only newts ive seen as 'dog faced' are P caudopunctatus, i believe another poster here also bought one labeled the same ....

 

[chris]

Fuzhongensis and caudopunctatus are being imported under the same name of dog faced newts. Pachytriton labiatus are being sold as 'spotless, short foot newts'!
Chris

 

[a]

With mine, the females have a longer tail, which doesnt get any wider, or have a faint white strip across the middle to the end of he tail

 

[suzanne]

ok I was watching them tonight, and realize there color is different. So looked at the pics again, and I think I have a fuzhongensis, and a guanxiensis.

Is there anymore difference between the 2 apart from coloring

 

[paris]

if you ever figure it out-tell me-im waiting for genetics lab next fall to get a clear idea of what i have got....a few toe clippings, a little PCR....and i'll probably find out ive got 4 different kinds......sigh...

 

[chris]

According to the paper describing fuzhongensis, they differ from guanxiensis in the following ways:
i) when the forelegs and rear legs are drawn towards the middle of the side of fuzhongensis, the feet overlap, not so in guanxiensis.
ii) fuzhongensis's warts are larger and more frequent.
iii) both species are light brown (with occasional orange markings), but fuzhongensis has black patches irregularly positioned on the dorsum.
iv) guanxiensis' head is broader.

You are more likely to have fuzhongensis, chinensis or caudopunctatus than true guanxiensis, as these are the species being imported in greates numbers.
Chris

 

[jesper]

Can you email me a copy of the paper Chris?
Btw, about the dorsal patches - Are they really supposed to be black or just more dark than the background?

I would also like to add that a lot of specimens are more green than light brown.

 

[a]

The colour of fuzhongensis is quite variable, i have one which is almost lightbrownish grey, 3 that are dark, and the rest are slughtly mottled colour.
Chris, that one you gave me, im pretty sure its not exactly the same species, or race of whatever,as my others. It just looks slightly different. Slightly fatter, darker, slightly larger, and with the orange speckles on the lower 1/4 of its side, theyre lighter and more frequent. It also has slightly bigger hands than the others. Lastly, it isnt a crazy newt like the others (it wont come out and eat me, or at least try!)

AJfr0ggy

 

[suzanne]

is sexing them different??

 

[chris]

Hi all
Firstly I don't think we are all talking about the same species here. Personally I don't think that some of the species imported are even known to science, like the Pachytriton phenotypes. P. fuzhongensis is only known from 2 small localities, and guanxiensis from only one. The patches are described distinctly as BLACK. I think behaviour is an important key. Fuzhongensis is described as spending most of its time under stones, but is occasionally found on the river banks.
Jesper - I'll email you.
Chris

 

[chris]

Could anyone requesting a copy of the paper describing P. fuzhongensis send me a private message including your email, and I'll send you a scanned copy.
Chris

 

[jesper]

Thanks Chris!

 

[chris]

Let me know if anyone didn't get the article...for some reason page 6 bounced back from Ed Kowalski
Chris

 

[a]

I havent got it yet.

Would it be possible to upload it? or is it all copyrighted ect.

AJfr0ggy

 

[edward]

Hi All,
I was at the Hamburg reptile show in Pennsylvania yesterday and I found a dealer with a big bowl of Paramesotriton on his table. There was one caudopunctatus in the bowl with a bunch of either "fuzhongensis" or "guanxiensis" (I haven't had a chance to key them out yet.) So I had to buy a batch of them (they were two for $15) as well as the one caudopunctatus.
So I have one caudopunctatus in quarantine, I just need to find a few more.

Ed