''Pachytriton inexpectatus'' is a species of

salamander Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All ten ...

in the family

Salamandridae Salamandridae is a family of salamanders consisting of true salamanders and newts. Salamandrids are distinguished from other salamanders by the lack of rib or costal grooves along the sides of their bodies and by their rough skin. Their skin is v ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

southern China South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...

and found in the Guizhou, Hunan, Guangdong, and Guangxi provinces. Its type locality is Mount Dayao of

Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County Jinxiu (; za, italic=yes, Ginhsiu) is a county of eastern Guangxi, China, located in an area of relatively high concentrations of the Yao people. It is administered as the Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County of Laibin City. Established in 1952, with the ...

Guangxi Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the People's Republic ...

. Prior to naming of this species in 2011, it was confused with ''Pachytriton labiatus'' (now ''

Paramesotriton labiatus ''Paramesotriton labiatus'' is a species of newt in the family Salamandridae. It is endemic to Guangxi, China. In literature prior to 2011, this species may have been confused with '' Paramesotriton chinensis'', '' Pachytriton granulosus'', or ...

''). It is one of the several species that can appear in the pet trade as paddletail newt. The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

''inexpectatus'' is Latin meaning "unexpected" and refers to finding a species that is common in pet trade but lacked formal scientific

description Description is the pattern of narrative development that aims to make vivid a place, object, character, or group. Description is one of four rhetorical modes (also known as ''modes of discourse''), along with exposition, argumentation, and narr ...

. Common name Yaoshan stout newt has been coined specifically for this species.

Description

Adult males measure in

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the most c ...

and in total length. Adult females measure in snout–vent length and in total length. The body is stout. The fingers and the toes have slight webbing. The tail tip is broad. Skin is smooth. The dorsum is uniformly dark brown. The venter is lighter and has reddish orange markings, some of them joining to form two longitudinal lines. There are small reddish orange markings scattered on throat and underside of limbs; some specimens have an orange spot on the dorsal base of each limb. The underside of tail and

cloaca In animal anatomy, a cloaca ( ), plural cloacae ( or ), is the posterior orifice that serves as the only opening for the digestive, reproductive, and urinary tracts (if present) of many vertebrate animals. All amphibians, reptiles and birds, a ...

are reddish orange.

Habitat and conservation

Adult ''Pachytriton inexpectatus'' live in mountain rivers, including steep and shallow side streams. They are

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

and prey upon aquatic insects, crustaceans, and annelids, as well as insects of terrestrial origin. Breeding seems to occur in early summer. Small juveniles are probably terrestrial. As of mid-2018, this species has not been assessed for the

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3360162 inexpectatus Endemic fauna of China Amphibians of China Amphibians described in 2011