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Issue: Vol. 4500 No. 4: 18 Oct. 2018
Type: Article
Published: 2018-10-18
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4500.4.5
Page range: 553–573
Abstract views: 163
PDF downloaded: 4

A new species of Crocodile Newt Tylototriton (Caudata: Salamandridae) from Shan State, Myanmar (Burma)

Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Biology, La Sierra University, 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside, California 92515, USA
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Dyche Hall, 1345 Jayhawk Blvd, Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7561, USA.
School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia.
Myanmar Environment Sustainable Conservation, Yangon, Myanmar.
Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northrdge, California 91330-8303, USA.
Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Biology, La Sierra University, 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside, California 92515, USA.
Department of Biology, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, Pennsylvania 19085, USA.
Fauna and Flora International, No(35), 3rd Floor, Shan Gone Condo, Myay Ni Gone Market Street, Sanchaung Township, Yangon, Myanmar.
Reptilia Integrative taxonomy Tylototriton Shan State Ywangan new species Myanmar conservation pet trade

Abstract

A phylogenetic taxonomic analysis of a monophyletic subgroup of the salamandrid genus Tylototriton revealed that a newly discovered population from Ngar Su Village, 1 km south of Ywangan, Shan State, Myanmar is a new species and most closely related to T. shanorum from approximately 80 km to the west in the vicinity of Taunggyi, Shan State. Tylototriton ngarsuensis sp. nov. differs from other closely related species of Tylototriton on basis of varying combinations of characteristics associated with it shorter head, larger size, rib nodule morphology, and overall drab, very dark, coloration, along with its genetic differentiation. Tylototriton ngarsuensis sp. nov. also appears to breed later in the year than most other species. Unfortunately, this species like many other Asian newts, is being harvested for the pet and medicinal trade and given its restricted distribution, this could pose a serious threat to its long-term survival.

 

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