Description of a New Species of the Asian Newt Genus Tylototriton sensu lato(Amphibia:Urodela:Salamandridae) from Southwest China

摘要

The newt genus Tylototriton sensu lato is widely distributed in Eastern,Southeastern and Southern Asia.Previous studies indicated that there still has been several cryptic species in the group.Here,we describe a new species of the genus from Guizhou Province,China.Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial DNA supported that the new species was resolved as an independent clade nested into the Tylototriton sensu lato clade.On morphology,the new species could be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters:large body size(SVL 76.8-85.2 mm in male and 76.3-87.4 mm in female);head longer than wide;snout truncate in dorsal view;tail length longer than the snout-vent length in males;the distal digit ends,ventral digits,peripheral area of cloaca and the tail s lower margin are orange;relative length of toesⅢ> Ⅳ> Ⅱ> Ⅰ> Ⅴ;the distal tips of the limbs greatly overlapping when the fore and hind limbs are pressed along the trunk;fingertips reach the level beyond the snout when the forelimbs are stretched forward.