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AmphibianTerrestrialIntermediate
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Kweichow Crocodile Newt
Tylototriton kweichowensis
Red-tailed crocodile newt. A robust, semi-aquatic salamander endemic to western China, characterized by its jet-black body, rows of bright red-orange knobs, and a prominent red-orange tail.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Caudata
Family:Salamandridae
Genus:Tylototriton
Species:Tylototriton kweichowensis
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
70 - 90 %
Day temperature
15 - 20 °C
Night temperature
12 - 14 °C
Ambient temperature
15 - 20 °C
Minimum enclosure
>= 45 L
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to the montane wetlands, cold rice paddies, and slow-moving ponds of Guizhou (Kweichow) province in southwestern China, typically at altitudes above 1,500 meters. It spends its summers in water and hibernates in damp mossy banks during winter.
Taxonomy and Genetics: A large and heavily armored newt, with adults reaching 15 to 20 cm in length. It features a jet-black or dark brown body with extremely granular, warty skin, a triangular head, and prominent rows of bright red or orange knobs along its back and flanks, ending in a tall, red-orange tail.
Behavior and Habits: Semiacquatic and diurnal or crepuscular. Unlike other crocodile newts, it is highly aquatic during the breeding season, swimming and hunting actively. It is slow-moving on land, using its cryptic texture and bright warning colors as defense.
Morphology: Adult females are significantly larger, wider, and heavier than males. Males are more slender and develop a swollen cloaca and a taller, more paddle-like tail during the aquatic breeding phase.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a spacious semi-aquatic setup or paludarium (minimum 80x45x45 cm). Provide a water area (15-20 cm deep) covering 60-70% of the tank with plenty of live plants (like Anubias), and a land area (30-40%) filled with damp moss and cork hides.
Lighting and Heating: Adapted to cold montane climates. Maintain temperatures strictly between 15°C and 20°C. Temperatures above 24°C can cause fatal heat stress. Requires a cold winter brumation at 5-10°C to trigger breeding. Provide low-intensity UVB lighting (5%).
Humidity and Hydration: Requires high relative humidity (80-100%) with excellent ventilation to prevent bacterial infections. The water must be clean, dechlorinated, and well-filtered. Weekly water changes and a gentle filter are recommended.
Feeding and Supplementation: A voracious carnivore. Feed on large earthworms, bloodworms, aquatic snails, and small insects. They swallow prey whole. Dust land-offered prey items with calcium and vitamins to prevent metabolic diseases.
Compatibility: Peaceful and gregarious. Can be kept in small groups or harems. Do not house with other species to prevent stress, disease transmission, or hybridization.
Health and Common Diseases: Highly sensitive to heat and ammonia. Poor water quality can cause fungal infections, skin necrosis, or bloating. Skin secretions contain mild toxins; wear gloves if handling is necessary.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to the montane wetlands, cold rice paddies, and slow-moving ponds of Guizhou (Kweichow) province in southwestern China, typically at altitudes above 1,500 meters. It spends its summers in water and hibernates in damp mossy banks during winter.
Origin
Europe, Mediterranean, and West AsiaEast Asia
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 21 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 21 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 21 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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