Who am I?

[andy]

I've kept various Paramesotriton for years and i've had this one for about nine years. Never been too sure as to what species it could be?

 

[chris]

I would say it is one of the fuzhongensis-like species that come into the trade, or even fuzhongensis itself. Fuzhongs have very warty skins, which are mainly brown with orange markings. If it has a fleshy fold of skin on the neck, it is definately fuzhongensis (or, as I said, one of the very similar pet trade species).
Which other species do you have?
Chris

 

[andy]

Hi Chris, i have Honkongensis, what i thought was fuzhongensis and this one, though now im not too sure! I thought fuzhongensis were just warty versions of hongkongensis? The one above looks nothing like my others,this species is a nightmare to identify! I'll post some pics of my others over the next few days

 

[william]

i'd say my first impressions scream hongkongensis

but then that tail in the fourth picture does remind me of fuzhongensis

(Message edited by will_j on March 12, 2005)

 

[andy]

To me, this doesn't look anything like Honkongensis, maybe the picture doesn't do it justice? I forgot to mention this one is 7.5 inches long

 

[william]

ahh... maybe a hybrid??? i don't know enough on the biology of this genus

 

[andy]

The reason i'm curious is that i've done many searches on the net and i can't find another paramesotriton that looks like it. Anyone else care to guess?
Cheers

 

[chris]

Definately not hongkongensis - has warty skin and not prominant cranial ridges. Fuzhongensis is the only verywart Paramesotriton. This really does seem to be a form fuzhongensis.
The orange blotches and the fold on the chin/chest all say fuzhongensis. If it were hongkongensis, the skin would be granualr - not warty, and there would be a clear v-shaped ridge on the tiop of the head, where the dorsal ridge splits. (look at the pics Juraj has posted of his adults).

(Message edited by froggy on March 12, 2005)

 

[sergé]

Chinensis is also very warty...but I also think this is a fuzhongensis type.

 

[TJ]

Either a variation of fuzhongensis or an extremely warty type of chinensis, but definitely not hongkongensis. Possibly an undescribed species?

What did the others look like where you got it?

But judging from the first pic, I'd have to conclude that it's a miniature Nile crocodile!

 

[frank]

A bizarre animal. I would say fuzhongensis, definitely not hongkongensis and fairly definitely not (whatever that means) chinensis. Do you have pictures of its belly?

 

[andy]

Thanks guys for all your input! I did take pictures of its belly but i didn't think they'd be helpful as they turned out yellow when in fact its more reddish! I'll try again if you'd like.
To be honest i dont remember what this guys tankmates looked like as it was about nine years ago, but i would have got more of this type if they were available. I have both Hongkongensis and Fuzongensis and to me they both look very different to this one, myself, i always leaned towards it being Chinensis,though i'll admit that i've only seen one picture of a Chinensis that was sort of similar

 

[chris]

Its also a female, if you didn't know
Chris

 

[andy]

Thanks Chris, i did know that

 

[chris]

I expected you would after 9 years

Chris