Who can identify .....?

[marion]

I live in China and a couple of days ago I purchased these newts. My Chinese skills are not that good. The first was sold to me as a
Wa wa yu (Cynops Orientalis) but seeing I already own those, I know this ID was wrong. The other name I couldn't even fathom.

I bought breeding pairs of each. The first newt is about 15 cm long (the grid paper has 5mm boxes) and dark mahogany colour, bright orange patterned underbelly and very long paddletail. It spends all its time underwater. This one and its mate /which is a little lighter in colour)like to sit with the tail folded back and just fan it about gently.

/image{mystery newts)

The other is quite lizard-like in appearance (I can hear Paris screaming already!!). Of course I know, it's not a lizard! Its skin has an sand/brown tone and is quite warty and it has a prominent spine ridge. Its underbelly is also bright orange, just like my C.O. These have not fed since I got them. I'm keeping them at 19°C and have offered live bloodworms and tubifex worms. The largest of these two is 12 cm long.

I don't know if all of them were captive bred or caught in the wild.

Can anyone offer any ideas?

 

[marion]

Well, I'm sorry. My helplessness at the computer has become obvious yet again. None of the photos I tried to upload worked! I will try again once I've received help.

In the meantime, can anyone even hazard a guess at what newts I mean?

 

[jesper]

When it comes to images just use the image button, the button up to the right when you write the message. It looks like twp papers with an arrow between them

It's quite difficult to say anything without photos. But I like guessing and I don't mind if I am wrong

so here I go:

1.Sounds like a somewhat small Pachytriton labiatus...Smooth skin right? Any smallish dark spots?

2.The other ones could be anything really...I guess towards subadult Paramesotriton species.

Get me some pics!

 

[marion]

Thanks for the tips Jesper. I tried again, and had the same problem as once I hit the 'upload' button, nothing happened. For a while..... It turns out my image is too large >1025 x 1025 pixels. It's going to take some time for me to work out how to get them smaller. If anyone is really keen to ID these fellas, I could email photos. Otherwise, I'll post here as soon as I can. Thanks.

 

[jesper]

I'm keen!

 

[ralf]

Sounds like paddletail newts (genus Pachytriton) in the first case and warted newts (genus Paramesotriton) in the second. Systematics within both genera are still unclear. All the animals are most probably wildcaught.

 

[ralf]

For identification you might also want to compare your animals with the pictures on caudata culture.

 

[joeri]

If you have paint on your computer you can resize the picture.
-open paint
-open the picture
-click image
-click strech/skew
-resize horizontal&vertical to about 30 or 40%
-save

and when you make that image command, make sure you use \ rather than /
and {} not {)

(Message edited by Xixarro on November 12, 2004)

 

[marion]

Here's another attempt to upload the photos. I think this time I'll succeed! The newts were not the most co-operative so I did the best I could...

Hope these are clear enough. I see their format is still too big and it's somehow messed up the text. Also, I uploaded 7 images but only six got displayed and one of those is unfortunately double. Many apologies - "Amateur at Work!"

I think Jesper was already on the right track with the first one as I made an attempt to find out about these newts on this site last week before I bought them. However, they were kept in such crowded conditions at the shop that I felt I had to buy them now, before they all died of mistreatment.

Thanks so much for everyone's help. Seems like we all like a good mystery.

(Message edited by onyx on November 12, 2004)

 

[jesper]

1.Pachytriton labiatus
2.Male Paramesotriton chinensis

 

[william]

do all p. labiatus have that blue/white flash on their tails?

 

[nate]

Hi will, that's a male trait.

 

[william]

oh thanks, can they also have varying amounts of orange on their bellies? mine has almost no orange

 

[joeri]

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>Marion Schmidt (Onyx) wrote on Friday, November 12, 2004 - 13:04 :</font>

"Also, I uploaded 7 images but only six got displayed "<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>

I see 7 pictures, you just happened to forget an enter after your second picture. So there are two pictures after each other, the rest is in a nice column

And most pictures are nice, just one or two a bit unsharp. Good job.

 

[jesper]

Hmm that's strange, my fuzhongensis males have the same kind of breeding suit on except for the swollen cloaca...
I wonder if this is a difference between teh two species? Mine are tailfanning and seems to be in their full breeding suit but they do not have swollen cloaca.

 

[colin]

nate, is the white flash only shown during breeding times or permanent?

 

[william]

well my pachytriton has had it since i've had it (3 months) and it's showing no sings of going