Caudata.org: Newts and Salamanders Portal

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Did you know that registered users see fewer ads? Register today!

An additional new species of clawed salamander from Japan, Onychodactylus tsukubensis

FrogEyes

Active member
Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
908
Reaction score
41
Location
Southern Minnesota
Just appeared alongside the description of Tylototriton ziegleri in Current Herpetology: Following recent studies which demonstrated that clawed salamanders consisted of a number of undescribed species and at least three main species groups, the Japanese species have been further revised with the description of Onychodactylus tsukubaensis.

Natsuhiko Yoshikawa and Masafumi Matsui, 2013. A New Salamander of the Genus Onychodactylus from Tsukuba Mountains, Eastern Honshu, Japan (Amphibia, Caudata, Hynobiidae). Current Herpetology 32(1):9-25.

Abstract:

Recent phylogenetic studies using mtDNA and allozymes have revealed the presence of large genetic differentiation within a Japanese clawed salamander, Onychodactylus japonicus, suggesting the presence of several cryptic taxa in this species. Based on morphological analyses, we describe one of them from the Tsukuba Mountains of Ibaraki Prefecture, in the Kanto district of eastern Honshu, as a new species, Onychodactylus tsukubaensis. It is a member of the japonicus species complex of Onychodactylus, and differs from the other species of the complex by a relatively short tail, wide head, and large number of vomerine teeth.
 
Last edited:

Azhael

Site Contributor
Joined
May 7, 2007
Messages
6,645
Reaction score
103
Location
Burgos
Wait a minute, salamanders with claws AND the ability to lure men into their dens and eat their souls? Cool.
 

FrogEyes

Active member
Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
908
Reaction score
41
Location
Southern Minnesota
It turns out that my local library was able to provide the paper at no cost by interlibrary loan. The first couple papers I have on this subject matter showed that "O.japonicus" consisted of multiple species. The Poyarkov et al revision divided the two deepest divisions by recognizing O.nipponoborealis. However, several deep divisions remained within what was still O.japonicus. The present paper described one of these isolated and morphologically distinct populations, while also necessarily refining the definition of O.japonicus. In addition to these, three more lineages are treated as undescribed species. So within the space of a couple of years, recognized diversity of clawed salamanders has jumped from two species to...um...nine? One thing I was struck by was how much the newest species resembles members of the long-toed salamander complex.
 
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Top