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Chinhai spiny newt
Echinotriton chinhaiensis
An exceptionally rare and critically endangered Chinese salamander, famous for its sharp ribs that can pierce its own skin as an active defense mechanism.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Caudata
Family:Salamandridae
Genus:Echinotriton
Species:Echinotriton chinhaiensis
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
70 - 90 %
Day temperature
24 - 25 °C
Night temperature
14 °C
Ambient temperature
24 - 25 °C
Minimum enclosure
>= 45 L
UVB
None
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: This species has an extremely restricted range and is endemic to eastern China, specifically found only in the Beilun District near Ningbo City in Zhejiang Province. It inhabits low-lying deciduous and evergreen broad-leaved hill forests, often fragmented by rice paddies. It lives in damp leaf litter, under stones, and rotting logs near temporary breeding pools.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belonging to the family Salamandridae and the genus Echinotriton. Formerly classified under the genus Tylototriton (as Tylototriton chinhaiensis), it is a slow-breeding and long-lived species; individuals can live for over 20 years and reach sexual maturity only around 10 years of age. It is listed as critically endangered.
Behavior and Habits: It is a terrestrial, solitary, and crepuscular or nocturnal species. It spends the winter in deep hibernation for about five months. It is famous for its 'rib-projection' defense mechanism; when grabbed, it pushes its sharp ribs forward to pierce through toxic skin glands along its sides, injecting painful secretions into the predator's mouth.
Morphology: Features a robust, flattened head and body. The total length ranges from 12 cm in males to 14 cm in females. The skin is highly textured and covered with a series of 8-12 prominent, knob-like glandular warts along each flank, which align with the sharp tips of the ribs. Coloration is a uniform dark brown or black.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a horizontally oriented enclosure measuring at least 60x40x40 cm for a single specimen. The setup should replicate a humid forest floor, with a substrate of damp sphagnum peat and coconut fiber, covered with a thick layer of sterilized oak leaves and cork bark flats to provide essential security and hiding spots.
Lighting and Heating: Cool temperatures are critical for their survival. Keep daytime temperatures between 18°C and 22°C (64-72°F), strictly avoiding temperatures above 24-25°C (75-77°F), which can cause fatal heat stroke. A winter hibernation period at 5-8°C (41-46°F) is necessary to replicate their natural cycle, which is essential for breeding success.
Humidity and Hydration: Humidity must be kept very high, between 75% and 90%. Mist the enclosure once or twice daily with reverse osmosis or dechlorinated water to keep the substrate damp but never waterlogged. Provide a shallow, clean water dish for hydration, ensuring the water is chemical-free and changed daily.
Feeding and Supplementation: Strictly carnivorous diet. Offer small live invertebrates such as earthworms, mealworms, appropriate-sized crickets, woodlice, and small snails. Feed two or three times a week in moderate portions. Dust the food with calcium powder once a week, reducing feeding frequency during the cooler winter months.
Compatibility: It is highly recommended to house this species individually due to its extreme rarity and to prevent food competition stress. Cohabitation should only be attempted in large enclosures for breeding pairs during the spring spawning season, provided there are multiple distinct shelters available.
Health and Common Diseases: Overheating is the leading cause of death in captivity; using fans or cooling systems during summer is highly advised. They are prone to fungal skin infections if the substrate becomes swampy and lacks ventilation. Handling should be avoided to prevent damage to their delicate skin and to avoid triggering their defensive rib projection.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
This species has an extremely restricted range and is endemic to eastern China, specifically found only in the Beilun District near Ningbo City in Zhejiang Province. It inhabits low-lying deciduous and evergreen broad-leaved hill forests, often fragmented by rice paddies. It lives in damp leaf litter, under stones, and rotting logs near temporary breeding pools.
Origin
East 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.
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Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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