The spotted paddle-tail newt (''Pachytriton brevipes'') is an

amphibian Amphibians are tetrapod, four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the Class (biology), class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terres ...

native to southeastern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

; it was named in 1876. A member of the family Salamandridae, it is closely related to the spotless paddle-tail newt (''Pachytriton labiatus''). The spotted paddle-tail newt lives in streams and is characterized by its long, paddle-shaped tail used for

propulsion Propulsion is the generation of force by any combination of pushing or pulling to modify the translational motion of an object, which is typically a rigid body (or an articulated rigid body) but may also concern a fluid. The term is derived from ...

Description

''Pachytriton'' species are stout-bodied, smooth-skinned aquatic newts. Their heads are large and flattened, and they have conspicuous

labial The term ''labial'' originates from '' Labium'' (Latin for "lip"), and is the adjective that describes anything of or related to lips, such as lip-like structures. Thus, it may refer to: * the lips ** In linguistics, a labial consonant ** In zoolog ...

folds and short, stubby legs and toes. They breathe through both lungs and skin. ''P. brevipes'' ranges from 5.5 to 7.5 in as an adult. It has prominent labial folds, long digits, and smooth skin, which differs from the tuberculate skin typical of newts. The head, back, and tail of ''P. brevipes'' range in color from light brown to a dark chocolate brown and are covered in dark spots. The underbelly color varies considerably, from a very light brown to a solid black.

Breeding Breeding is sexual reproduction that produces offspring, usually animals or plants. It can only occur between a male and a female animal or plant. Breeding may refer to: * Animal husbandry, through selected specimens such as dogs, horses, and ra ...

males may develop bluish-white spots on the tail.

Behavior

''Pachytriton'' spp. are known for their aggressive and

territorial A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...

behavior, seen mainly in males, but occasionally in females, as well. ''P. brevipes'' is an aggressive hunter and feeder. It is

carnivorous A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose food and energy requirements derive from animal tissues (mainly muscle, fat and other sof ...

and will eat worms, insects, and small fish. The breeding behavior of ''P. brevipes'' is unknown.

Ecology

''Pachytriton brevipes'' is native to the

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...

streams of southeastern China, and it thrives in cool, clean water high in

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as wel ...

. Current distribution is shrinking, most likely due to pollution and human encroachment on habitat. It is almost exclusively aquatic, though it will leave the water if bullied by a more aggressive individual.

References

Caudata article and pictures on Pachytritons
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2496360 Pachytriton Endemic fauna of China Amphibians of China Taxa named by Henri Émile Sauvage Amphibians described in 1876