Cynops Pyrrhogaster (Miyazaki Prefecture)

[TJ]

Just received these C. pyrrhogaster from Kyushu Island, the southernmost range of this species

The first thing I noticed is that they're considerably smaller than C.p adults I'm used to seeing. They may just be young, but one of the females is gravid, so I wonder...

As for their ventral patterns, they have "rounded spots or blotches on the belly with some individuals lacking black markings altogether" as described in the caudatecentral caresheet as being characteristic of the Hiroshima race of C.p

(Message edited by tj on May 27, 2006)

 

[TJ]

 

[TJ]

 

[paul]

Hi Tim,
very fine newts
This is Miyazaki prefecture - right?
About the lower length:
This is what KAWAMURA and SAWADA wrote about the Kagoshima pyrrhogaster:
… pyrrhogaster collected from Hiroshima are somewhat larger in average total length than those from Kagoshima.
Do you know there exact position - near to Kagoshima ore near to Oita?
Paul

 

[TJ]

Hi Paul!
Thanks. I received 10 of them, all seemingly healthy, and plan to keep 3 pair.

Yes, that's Miyazaki (famous for its beaches), and Kagoshima (famous for its volcano) is the prefecture to its left. Oita (famous for its hot springs) is located just northeast of Miyazaki.

I would think C.p from Kagoshima and Miyazaki are generally the same, and I've heard of a "southern Kyushu group" so I guess there are some differences between them and the ones from Oita and elsehere in northern Kyushu.

Yes, I know the exact village where they were caught.It's located in southern Miyazaki -- nearer to Kagoshima than to Oita.

Here's one eating its shedded skin

 

[TJ]

 

[ralf]

Hey Tim,
very nice pics as always. This looks like at least one potential breeding couple in the last picture (male on the left and female in front).

Ralf

 

[aaron]

Lucky guy you are to live in Japan.....

~Aaron

 

[TJ]

March 20, 2003: a day to go down in history. I refer not to the launch of the U.S.-led attack on Iraq...but to my first-EVER C.p egg

 

[aaron]

lol. 2 things:

1. congrats

2. what have you been doing to them? how is it that you bred paramesotriton and how many other species before pyrrhogaster???? you're one strange individual.

~Aaron

 

[TJ]

hahaha...tks Aaron, but as to your question, I'd prefer you address that to my pyrrhogaster

As for my breeding success with other newts, I attribute that to acquisition of already gravid and ready-to-burst females. Works every time!
And then it doesn't take a master newtkeepers to breed either C.ensicauda or P.waltl, right?

I keep 7-8 groups of pyrrhogaster now, but I've had them all for less than a year. And it's only been in the last month that I've started giving them the attention they deserve.

 

[TJ]

I'm responsible for this premature hatchling, which slipped out of the egg when I was separating the egg from a plastic strip while trying to get a pic.

Seems OK though!

 

[TJ]