Studies On The Skeleton System Of Genus Echinotriton And Tylototriton (Caudata: Salamandridae)

Echinotriton and Tylototriton (Amphibia: Caudata: Salamandridae) range overSouthwestern China, Southwestern and Southeastern Asia and Japan. According toZhao (2000), there are three species in genus Echinotriton in China, i.e, Echinotritonandersoni, E. chinhaiensis, and E. asperrimus. Genus Tylototriton includes fourspecies in China, i. e, Tylototriton verrucosus, T. kweichowensis, T. taliangensis,and T. shanjing. All of the seven species are in danger. E. andersoni is extinct infield in China Taiwan. In the paper, six species (except E. andersoni) includingtwenty-seven specimens were dissected and examined. We dicuss the taxonomy ofasperrimus. We think that asperrimus should be included in Tylototriton. The reasonis that there is no curved hook in the quadrate of asperrimus which is the same asthe four species of genus Tylototirton, while both of the two species in Echinotritonsuch as E. chinhaiensis and E. andersoni, have a curved hook in the quadrate.Furthermore, the number of caudal vertebrae of asperrimus is thirty to thirty-six.,which is close to the range of the species in Tylototriton, and more than the numberof E. chinhaiensis. We also discuss the relationship of T. verrucosus and T. shanjing.We observe seven species of T. shanjing Five species have fourteen trunkvertebrae, one has twelve, one have thirteen. Six species of T. verrucosus are observed, while five of them have thirteen, one has twelve. The number of trunkvertebrae between the two species is different. There is variation in the number oftrunk vertebrae in T. verrucosus and T. shanjing. Besides, we discuss the variation oflimb morphology. Our samples are inadequate to determine whether or not it hastaxonomic significance.