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Wenxian Crocodile Salamander, T. wenxianensis Fei, Ye & Yang (1984)

Appearance

Differentiating T. wenxianensis from T. asperrimus proves to be difficult. The differences between the last species and T. asperrimus pingwuensis (which is a synonym for wenxianensis) are (following Deng & Yu 1984);

1. Warts on the flank irregular, with no distinct demarcation line between each other.
2. Distance between the nostrils shorter than from the snout to the eye.
3. Periphery of the anus dark-brown.
4. Ventral surface rough with numerous warts. 

The most obvious differences in our own opinion are that T. wenxianensis is smaller, not larger than 160 total length (while T. asperrimus can reach 200 mm), and that in T. wenxianensis the dorso-lateral wart rows are not prominent, but most of the time completely missing.

Distribution and habitat

The Wenxian crocodile salamander is one of the least studied species within the genus, this because of its secretive lifestyle and distribution. The species is only known to occur in the Chinese provinces Gansu and Sichuan. Areas far south of this area are reported, but are doubtful. There are apparently very few populations (IUCN 2006).

Almost nothing is known about the habitat of these species.

Look here for photos of this species. 

Deng, Q. & Z. Yu (1984): A new subspecies of salamander from Sichuan – Tylototriton asperrimus pingwuensis. Acta Herpetologica Sinica 3: 77.

IUCN, Conservation International, and NatureServe (2006): Global Amphibian Assessment. <www.globalamphibians.org>. Accessed on July 2007.