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Giant Fire-Bellied Newt (Paramesotriton spp.)
Giant Fire-Bellied Newt (Paramesotriton hongkongensis)
Photo credit: gutt.sg.free.fr
Length: 6 in.
Common Names : Hong Kong Warty Newt
Distribution and Origin of Imports: China, Hong Kong, and northern Vietnam.
Conservation Status: Near Threatened (NT)
All tailed amphibians with legs belong to the order Caudata, a group popularly called salamanders, containing about 355 species. "newt" is the common name given to certain species in the family Salamandridae that spend extended periods of time in water. Many newts undergo significant physical changes in the structure of the tail, back, and body glands during their aquatic breeding stage. In classification terms, all newts are salamanders, but not all salamanders are newts.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
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Kingdom |
Animalia — Animal |
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Phylum |
Chordata — chordates |
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Subphylum |
Vertebrata — Vertebrates |
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Class |
Amphibia — Amphibians |
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Order |
Caudata —
Salamanders |
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Family |
Salamandridae—Newts, Salamanders |
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Genus |
Paramesotriton—Warty Newts |
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Species |
Paramesotriton spp. —
Giant Fire-Bellied Newt |
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