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Japanese Fire-belly Newt
Cynops pyrrhogaster
The Japanese fire belly newt features a dark, granular back and a striking crimson, toxic belly. Primarily aquatic as adults, it needs a 75L planted tank with cool water, low flow, and a small land area for resting.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Caudata
Family:Salamandridae
Genus:Cynops
Species:Cynops pyrrhogaster
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
70 - 80 %
Day temperature
18 - 23 °C
Night temperature
15 - 18 °C
Ambient temperature
18 °C
Minimum enclosure
>= 40 L
UVB
None
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to Japan (Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu islands). Found in cold, slow-moving freshwater bodies such as ponds, ditches, forest pools, and traditional rice paddies with dense aquatic vegetation.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Family Salamandridae. Commonly known as the Japanese Fire-bellied Newt. Features a dark brown to black dorsal color with a rough, granular skin texture, contrasted by a bright crimson or orange belly spotted with black. Reaches 10-12 cm in length.
Behavior and Habits: Primarily aquatic and diurnal. Excellent swimmers that spend most of their time underwater. They possess skin glands that secrete tetrodotoxin as a defense mechanism, which is signaled by their bright belly (aposematism).
Morphology: Slender body with a flattened tail for swimming. Granular skin that is not slimy. This red belly acts as a warning to predators. Highly long-lived, often exceeding 20 years in captivity.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Aqua-terrarium (minimum 60x30x30 cm for 3-4 specimens) with 80% water (15-20 cm deep) and 20% land area. Provide dense live plants (Anubias, Java Moss). A secure, tight-fitting mesh lid is mandatory as they are excellent climbers.
Lighting and Heating: Cold-water species. Maintain temperatures between 15-20°C. Never use heaters. They can tolerate short summer peaks up to 24°C if the water is highly oxygenated.
Humidity and Hydration: Aquatic habitat. Ensure high water quality using a low-flow sponge filter, as they dislike strong currents.
Feeding and Supplementation: Carnivorous. Feed 2-3 times a week with frozen bloodworms, chopped earthworms, brine shrimp, or sinking amphibian pellets.
Compatibility: Can be kept in groups. Do not mix with fish or other amphibians. They are toxic if ingested by pets.
Health and Common Diseases: Never handle with bare hands to protect their sensitive skin and avoid transferring oils. Wash hands thoroughly after maintenance. Watch for skin infections.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to Japan (Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu islands). Found in cold, slow-moving freshwater bodies such as ponds, ditches, forest pools, and traditional rice paddies with dense aquatic vegetation.
Origin
North AmericaEast Asia
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 14 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Toxicity
- No verified data available
- Life stage
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 14 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 14 cm for this species, recorded as total length (TL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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