Paramesotriton hongkongensis?

[alexander]

Happy New Year!

There is a fawn-coloured specimen In my Paramesotriton hongkongensis' colony. This newt lives in my collection 5 years. I am of opinion that this specimen belongs to P. hongkongensis but one my friend yesterday calls my opinion in question. Who is right from us? There are a few photos:

<font color="ff0000"><font size="-2">(added spaces between pics --TJ)</font></font>

(Message edited by TJ on January 01, 2006)

 

[alexander]

Here is 7 distinguishing features of this newt:

1) Fawn coloration, (occasionally the newt is orangey)
2) High enough dorsal ridge
3) More verrucose skin than skin of my other P. hongkongensis
4) Some difference of shape of the head

Also it is necessary for take into consideration

5) This newt eats three times more than other P. hongkongensis
6) This specimen is more aggressive
7) The newt always dwells near water surface

 

[ester]

What a beautiful dragon you've got there! Wonderful colours! I hope you figure out which species it is and are able to mate it/find a mate!

 

[paul]

Hi Alexander,

interesting warty and beautiful pics!
But no idea who is right - think something near to hongkongensis

Interested what the Paramesotriton experts say!

Paul

 

[TJ]

Happy New Year!

I'm no expert, but I have little doubt it's something other than P. hongkongensis. And now that I've seen P. hongkongensis in the wild, I'm more sure than ever of what P. hongkongensis look like (at least so far as the newts that are found in Hong Kong, of which only one species is known to exist). Having said that, I don't have the original description paper and I haven't done a feature-by-feature comparison. I've also recently seen other rather bizarre-looking Paramesotriton, including some with coloration as striking as that. There is still a lot unknown when it comes to this genus!

What you have there looks less like hongkongensis and more like what I have here:

http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/13/19876.jpg

...though that's not to say I think they're the same thing.

Anyway, whatever it is, it's truly amazing. I'd love to see some belly photos...as well as pictures of the others that you acquired as P. hongkongensis

Also, what is its snout-to-tail (tip of tail) length?

(Message edited by TJ on January 02, 2006)

 

[paul]

Happy New Year, too

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>Tim wrote on Sunday, 01 January, 2006 - 17:01 :</font>

"And now that I've seen P. hongkongensis in the wild, I'm more sure than ever of what P. hongkongensis look like (at least so far as the newts that are found in Hong Kong, of which only one species is known to exist). "<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>
@Tim, some shots of this "original" hongkongensis

Paul

 

[TJ]

Hi Paul. My information is that P. hongkongensis have the sharp dorsal and dorsolateral folds with much smoother skin than most other Paramesotriton, except for maybe P. caudopunctatus.

Alexander's newt seems altogether too chunky and bumpy (how's that for a scientific description?!

), though it does have a prominent cranial ridge, the sides of which are smooth and slope inward the way they do with P. hongkongensis. Anyway, I didn't examine every P. hongkongensis in Hong Kong, so I'm perfectly willing to be proved wrong on this one. Fire away!

(Message edited by TJ on January 02, 2006)

 

[paul]

Thanks Tim!

Yes, those look exactly like the description of P. hongkongensis.

Paul

 

[alexander]

Hi dear friends!
The total length of the female is 15 cm. I forgot to mention that newt has more thick extremities (especially lower) than other P. hongkongensis. This newt also is steady for illness. I remind you that the newt from time to time change the brightness of coloration. These photos of the brightest phase (after exuviation).

I hope to get posterity from the female, but I am not specialist in the breeding of Paramesotriton, in spite of the fact that I am urodelist more 20 years. I keep also P.deloustali and P. Chinensis but I cannot to breed them.

I agree with you Tim, that this genus will surprise us. Six years ago, my friend Boris Timofeev (well-known keeper in Russian and French sections of the urodelists) kept very verrucous dark-brown Paramesotriton. They had 2 peculiarity: corpulent nasal part of muzzle and overwhelming majority of verrucas had thorn (filament, hair). Dr. Litvinchuk also saw them. After the death of the newts Boris throw out dead bodies (He did not preserve its in alcohol ...)

Russia has advantageous position in "Paramesotritonology" than EU or USA/Canada. We have enough lengthy frontier with China. According to Russian-Chinese pacts Chinese can traverse our frontier without superfluous formalities. Chinese commercial interests flooded Russia, Chinese goods prevail in the Russian market ... and pet-shops are not exception !!!