<i>Tylototriton verrucosus</i> info sheet updated - controversial?

[john]

Hi all.

I updated the Tylototriton verrucosus information sheet on Caudata Culture the other day: http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Tylototriton/T_verrucosus.shtml

I would appreciate some feedback with regard to the changes, particularly my description of variants within the species. The first photo of what I call "shanjing-like" isn't the best for seeing what I describe but I hope what I've said makes sense.

 

[jesper]

Hmmm,
The biggest problem seems to be to differentiate the light form from the t.s-like form(when they are young).

Would Ralf's picture of the "tame" t.v be a t.s-like or a bright form?

Also there seems to exist dark bright forms or vice versa.

 

[john]

Jesper, please show me a link to Ralf's picture and I'll tell you.

To your other point, I think you are mistaking variation within a form with the state of being a real type. I can show you a wide range of varieties of my own "dark" verrucosus but they are all descended from the same animals.

 

[jesper]

John,
My point was not that there are more types, my point was that the pictures/the names of your types are misrepresenting the type. For example, why call your form "the dark form", when there are as bright specimens of this form as the pic of the light form. IE the colour isn't a very good way to identify or name a type.

My suggestion would be to name them by morphology rather than colour.


I meant Ralf's pic "tame newt" in the caresheet.

 

[john]

Jesper,

Actually Jesper, that's not so. Adult animals of the three types look very similar within type when in the water. Juveniles vary from adults in terms of colouration. I think your problem is that you're comparing photos from various people and photos are no substitute for your own eyes because lighting conditions, age of the animal and whether it is in the water or not make it difficult to make comparisons, hence why all 3 of the "variant" photos I use are in the water.

As for tame newt, I'm 95% that's a light variant but it's a bit harder to tell from the angle at which it's taken.

 

[philipp]

Hi all
Well, there are three forms of that "mess of a species-komplex" available, in books, you can find at least five more animals, showing a very "verucosus-like" habitus.
I personally keep the dark type, the light and the "shanjing-like" form, though i can´t find more similarities than the colouration and a more elegant body, when watching the last named animals. Between "light" and "shanjing like", the biggest difference seem to be the colouration of the extremities. The "light" type has darker ones.
i didn´t read the caresheet so far, i need time for translation,..
Burt so far, my "shanjing-like" animals, even need much lower temeratures, than i already offer to my dark verrucosus,....
Greets,
Philipp