T. asperrimus/hainanensis/wenxianensis

I got a group of these in yesterday although at this point I have no clue which of the three species they are. A few are skinny (they were no charge) and several have some missing digits. All are in quarantine enclosures. I'm gonna attempt a light feeding today. The seller said that he did not even order them, adding that they came in with a group of T. kweichowensis. After they have settled in and hopefully are eating I'll play with a few and take some pics - the difficult part for me will be figuring out how to post them online (I hate technology).
Chip

Did you checked this link allready? -> http://science.naturalis.nl/hosted-...rs-of-the-old-world/species-list/tylototriton

Greets

Yes. That's the one that made me realize just how similar the three species are.
Chip

OK bear with me. This is my first attempt at posting pics on the internet...

Great pic, Chip! And great job posting! You did it!

Are those them? They look pretty good to me. Have you got any feeding interest?

That is three of the nine. Overall they have done well. I lost one initially and another about two weeks ago. This species in my experience is more reclusive than the other tylo species that I have kept.
Chip

Are you going to keep them all together or make a couple colonies? I know they are not the most entertaining tylos! But they sure are unique looking creatures.

Central one gives a lot the idea of an T.asperrimus. I would certainly adopt they by that species. At least, wexianensis they are not for sure.
cheers,

Is that a T.wenxianensis ?

Hi,

T asperrimus: I don't think so: knobs seem too tiny (I saw them in Vietnam and they look really different). The other two pics (one quite thin animal) could very well be T asperrimus
T wenxianensis: I don't think so, these should lack the clear dorsolateral knobs of T asperrimus
T vietnamensis: possible (two morphs exist: black and pale ones) but do I see females on the picture? Females are virtually never caught in T vietnamensis
T hainanensis: possible

Always the same problem: no locality data and very rare animals that end up in the pet trade, mostly illegally.

Frank

AW: Re: T. asperrimus/hainanensis/wenxianensis

Hi,
here you can see pictures of my T.Wenxianensis,
ummi

So using the description of T.notialis as reference...
Last pictures are clearly T.wenxianensis, as stated.
Previous pictures...
Not T.notialis - diagnostic color of parotids is lacking. Also lacks rib coloration and enlarged rib nodules. Note that rib and parotid color IS visible in at least some T.vietnamensis.
That leaves T.asperrimus, T.hainanensis, T.vietnamensis, T.sp. Cao Bang, T.wenxianensis.
Not T.vietnamensis - skin is dark and warty rather than smooth and light. Nodules are also not distinct but flattened.
That leaves T.asperrimus, T.hainanensis, T.sp. Cao Bang, T.wenxianensis.
Not T.asperrimus - nodules are not enlarged and knob-like.
That leaves T.hainanensis, T.sp. Cao Bang, T.wenxianensis.
Not T.hainanensis or T.sp. Cao Bang - nodules are not distinct but flattened
That leaves T.wenxianensis, which has the trait of nodules being indistinct, in addition to warty skin, dark coloration, and a lack of color on either parotids or rib nodules.

One picture of T.hainanensis online, apparently taken at a locality in the wild, shows rib nodules which are distinctly raised individually above the lateral ridge. I take that image to be representative of certain members of the species.
CalPhotos: Tylototriton hainanensis; Hainan Knobby Newt

Many pictures of T.asperrimus online lack locality information, and furthermore lack any distinctive rib nodules. I would identify most of these as T.wenxianensis.
CalPhotos: Tylototriton asperrimus; Black Knobby Newt

One picture online identified as T.asperrimus, has obvious diagnostic features of that species, and was recorded from Ha Giang. That places it near the type locality of the species, in Guizhou, China. I would consider this image to be typical T.asperrimus.
CalPhotos: Tylototriton asperrimus; Black Knobby Newt

Based on published information, I would treat T.vietnamensis and T.sp. Cao Bang as being identical except for coloration. Online photos appear to include both true T.vietnamensis:
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=1111+1111+1111+4497
and animals I hesitate to identify:
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=1111+1111+1111+4188
That looks more like T.wenxianensis, but it has the proportions of a juvenile, so I would be reluctant to assign an ID until it had developed adult color and morphology.

Based on published photos and biogeography, I would consider animals of northern Thailand to be T.shanjing. I would consider animals of northeastern Thailand and probably adjacent Laos to be an undescribed species, differentiated from the previous by smaller size, less developed crests, black limbs, and laterally black tail. Orange coloration is otherwise nearly identical.

wow those look just like crocodiles.