Tylototriton uyenoi

Tylototriton uyenoi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Urodela
Family:	Salamandridae
Genus:	Tylototriton
Species:	T. uyenoi
Binomial name
	Tylototriton uyenoi; Nishikawa, Khonsue, Pomchote, and Matsui, 2013

Last updated October 16, 2019

Tylototriton uyenoi, the Chiang Mai crocodile newt, is a newt endemic to Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. It was distinguished from Tylototriton shanjing , the emperor newt, in 2013. The species was named in honor of herpetologist Shun-ichi Ueno.^[1]T. uyenoi is one of the few salamander species endemic to Thailand.

A newt is a salamander in the subfamily Pleurodelinae. The terrestrial juvenile phase is called an eft. Unlike other members of the family Salamandridae, newts are semiaquatic, alternating between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Not all aquatic salamanders are considered newts, however. More than 100 known species of newts are found in North America, Europe, North Africa and Asia. Newts metamorphose through three distinct developmental life stages: aquatic larva, terrestrial juvenile (eft), and adult. Adult newts have lizard-like bodies and return to the water every year to breed, otherwise living in humid, cover-rich land habitats.

Endemism is the ecological state of a species being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation, country or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. The extreme opposite of endemism is cosmopolitan distribution. An alternative term for a species that is endemic is precinctive, which applies to species that are restricted to a defined geographical area.

Chiang Mai is the second-largest province (changwat) of Thailand. It is in the country's north. It is bordered by Chiang Rai to the northeast, Lampang and Lamphun to the south, Tak to the southwest, Mae Hong Son to the west, and Shan State of Burma to the north. The capital, Chiang Mai, is 685 km north of Bangkok.

Description

Tylototriton uyenoi bears a prominent ridge on its back, flanked by two rows of raised bumps; the head bears parallel ridges. These features are coloured orange, while the rest of the body is brownish black. Juveniles appear to be somewhat more highly coloured. Individuals reach an average length of 75–79 mm.^[1]^[2]

Distribution

The species occurs only in Chiang Mai Province, where it has been recorded in Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary and Doi Inthanon National Park.^[2]

Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. Established on 25 August 1978, the sanctuary covers 521 km² of the Doi Chiang Dao and southern mountainous regions of the Daen Lao Range, north of the Thanon Thong Chai Range. The tallest summit is 2,175 m high Doi Chiang Dao.

Doi Inthanon National Park, nicknamed "the roof of Thailand", is in the Thanon Thong Chai Range, Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand. It includes Doi Inthanon, the country's highest mountain. Established in 1972, it is 482 square kilometres (186 sq mi) in size.

Ecology

The species appears to be a generalist predator, feeding on a variety of arthropods and snails.^[3] Breeding has been reported from May to July.^[2]

Related Research Articles

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Salamandridae is a family of salamanders consisting of true salamanders and newts. Currently, 74 species have been identified in the Northern Hemisphere - Europe, Asia, the northern tip of Africa, and North America. Salamandrids are distinguished from other salamanders by the lack of rib or costal grooves along the sides of their bodies and by their rough skin. Their skin is very granular because of the number of poison glands. They also lack nasolabial grooves.

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Tylototriton shanjing, the emperor newt, Mandarin newt or Mandarin salamander, is a highly toxic newt native to China.

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Tylototriton is a genus of newts known as crocodile newts or knobby newts. About 25 known species are in this genus. Many species have been described just recently. They range from northeastern India and Nepal through Burma to northern Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and southern China.

The red-tailed knobby newt or Kweichow (crocodile) newt is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae. It is found in western Guizhou and north-eastern Yunnan, China. It is most closely related to emperor newt and Himalayan newt.

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Tylototriton notialis, the Laos knobby newt, is a species of newt in the family Salamandridae. It is only known from its type locality in the Nakai-Nam Theun Biodiversity Conservation Area, Khammouane Province, central Laos. The type locality is an evergreen mixed deciduous–pine forest; the newts were found in and near a small stream. It is likely that Laos knobby newt will also be found in adjacent areas of Vietnam. Based on molecular genetic data, it belongs to the Tylototriton asperrimus group of knobby newts. Laos knobby newt is a small newt, with total length of about 11–14 cm (4.3–5.5 in).

Tylototriton ziegleri, Ziegler's crocodile newt or Ziegler's knobby newt, is a species of newt in the family Salamandridae. It is so far known from Hà Giang and Cao Bằng provinces in northern Vietnam; there is a photograph to suggest it also occurs in Lào Cai Province. Based on molecular genetic data, Ziegler's crocodile newt belongs to the Tylototriton asperrimus group of knobby newts.

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The Chiang Mai dwarf gecko is a species of gecko endemic to Chiang Mai Province of Thailand.

Tylototriton panhai is a newt found in Thailand and Laos. It was recently distinguished from Tylototriton shanjing by Nishikawa et al., 2013.

Tylototriton shanorum is a newt endemic to Shan State, Myanmar, where it was recorded in Taunggyi.

References

1 2 Nishikawa, K.; Khonsue, W.; Pomchote, P.; Matsui, M. (2013). "Two new species of Tylototriton from Thailand (Amphibia: Urodela: Salamandridae)". Zootaxa. 3737 (3): 261–279.
1 2 3 Michaels, C. J. (2015). "Field observations, morphometrics and a new locality for Tylototriton uyenoi in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand". The Herpetological Bulletin. 130 (2014): 26–27.
↑ Thansuda Dowwiangkan; Yuwadee Ponpituk; Yodchaiy Chuaynkern; Prateep Duengkae. "Diet of Himalayan Newt ( Tylototriton uyenoi) in Chiang Mai Province" (PDF).