Chuxiong Fire Bellied Newt

Cynops cyanurus is a relatively small salamander, with male total length reaching up to 80 mm, and females measuring up to 100 mm. Head is flat. Snout is rounded, and edges of the mouth are located just below the tips of the eyes. Vomerine teeth are oriented in V-shape. Tongue is small but thick, and oval-shaped. Skin is relatively rough. Head, body, and tail are covered with fine grainy bumps. Venter is smooth, with thin, fine, ripple-like skin folds. Legs are long and weak. Toes overlap when limbs are adpressed to the flank (Datong and Dingqi 2008). Dorsum is blue green or brown in coloration. The skin directly above the vertebral column and legs is brown. The upper tailfin fold is also brown, while the lower tailfin fold is a conspicuous orange color. Cloud-like orange blotches are present on the venter. There are also orange spots around the edge of the mouth and behind the eyes. In females, the region near the tip of the tail is blue with irregularly patterned black or brown spots (Datong and Dingqi 2008).

Found in China. Cynops cyanurus lives in Yunnan province, on the Yungui highlands (Datong and Dingqi 2008), between 1,790-2,400 m asl (Datong and Shunqing 2004). This species is found in quiet forest ponds, rice paddies, and irrigated wheat fields (Datong and Dingqi 2008).

Cynops cyanurus breeds in rice paddies, forest ponds, and artificial ponds near Kunming (Datong and Shunqing 2004). This species is quite adaptable, and is able to thrive in both drought and acidic water of pH 6.0 (Datong and Dingqi 2008).

Common on the Yunnan plateau but uncommon elsewhere. It occurs in at least one protected area, the Kunming Lake Natural Reserve (Datong and Shunqing 2004).

Collected in small numbers for the international pet trade (Datong and Shunqing 2004).

The Chuxiong fire-bellied newt (Cynops cyanurus) is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae that is endemic to China where it is only found in Guizhou and Yunnan. It also occurs in Kunming Lake.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, and irrigated land. It is threatened by habitat loss.