The fire belly newt or fire newt is a genus (''Cynops'') of
newt
A newt is a salamander in the subfamily Pleurodelinae. The terrestrial juvenile phase is called an eft. Unlike other members of the family Salamandridae, newts are semiaquatic, alternating between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Not all aqua ...
s native to
Japan and
China. All of the species show bright yellow or red bellies, but this feature is not unique to this genus. Their skin contains a toxin that can be harmful if ingested.
Species
Species recognized as of October 2019:
[
(A * means that the newt has been moved into the genus ''Hypselotriton'' in some classifications )
]
Taxonomic controversy
The genus ''Cynops'' has been suggested to be due for a split, with the Chinese species being placed in a separate genus from the Japanese ones.Cynops cyanurus
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 subtropi ...
'' is at the centre of all this. There is much debate about the validity of ''C. cyanurus'' and '' C. chenggongensis''. All the known captive animals could be something different from ''C. cyanurus'', as they do not entirely match the original description of the species. The only known animals that match that are animals originating from Chemnitz Zoo, but the F2 animals have not bred well, which could suggest they are in fact a hybrid of ''C. cyanurus'' and ''C. chenggongensis'' or an undescribed ''Cynops'' species.
References
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q390135
Amphibians of Asia