Cynops pyrrhogaster (aberrant)

[TJ]

(picture taken with permission of Pau Pau Aqua Garden, Tokyo, Japan)

This is the first Cynops pyrrhogaster with truly aberrant dorsal and abdominal pigmentation that I've ever seen in the flesh, though I've seen some amazing photos:

1) http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/13/16289.jpg
2) http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/13/16292.jpg
3) http://www.hkr.ne.jp/~rieokun/saramand/imori/cynops/akahara4.jpg

I'm not sure into which category it falls into, but I'd initially rule out albinism, melanism, leucism, amelanism, axanthism. How about xanthism or hypomelanism? I'm new to most of these terms anyway, so I'll leave that diagnosis to others, but it does seem to be the same phenomenon as with the Taricha torosa seen at:

http://www.livingunderworld.org/gallery/photos/caudata/salamandridae/taricha/torosa/taricha_torosa_frischling.jpg

(this C.p newt is not for sale)

 

[TJ]

 

[mark]

Tim, he/she is beautiful, are you keeping her?
Nice photo BTW!

 

[TJ]

 

[john]

It's hypomelanism, with some patches of normal DNA skin. Beautiful animal.

 

[TJ]

Only in my wildest, wildest dreams

This is the shop's property and they insist he/she is not for sale. They'll probably use it to draw in customers. It certainly drew me in --two days in a row, in fact!

Here's a close-up shot of the cloaca:

(Message edited by tj on June 02, 2004)

 

[sharon]

Gorgeous gorgeous animal!

Sharon

 

[TJ]

 

[TJ]