Variations
1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Hong Kong warty newt
Peaceful in groups; eats anything small.
This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.
- Hong Kong warty newt should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
- Hong Kong warty newt should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
- Hong Kong warty newt should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Care and water
Behavior
Peaceful in groups; eats anything small. Needs cool, clean water and a land ramp.
Good to know: Needs a land ramp.
Food
Bloodworms, earthworms and pellets.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Male or female
Males have a large orange-red patch just in front of the cloaca, a longer head and a shorter tail; females are larger. Breeding males fan their tail, which shows a white or bluish stripe.
Health
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Breeding
Egg-layer · Hard
Breeds in winter (November-February) in slow, clear streams and pools; females stick eggs singly to submerged plants or leaves near the pool edges (Wikipedia: wrapped in leaves). Eggs hatch in 3-6 weeks and larvae stay in water about 7.5 months.
Group of 4-6.
A tank with a large land area: it spends about 10 months a year on land.
Cooler water in winter, when it breeds.
Average clutch about 115-120 small eggs; hatch in 3-6 weeks.
Larvae eat daphnia and baby brine shrimp.
- Warm water
- Dirty tanks
- Wild-caught stock
Where it lives in the wild
The story of the hong kong warty newt
A warty newt of Hong Kong and coastal Guangdong, the only salamander in Hong Kong. Adults spend about 10 months a year on land and enter streams for only about 45 days to breed in winter; it is legally protected in Hong Kong.
George Myers and Alan Leviton described the Hong Kong newt in 1962. It is found in Hong Kong and nearby parts of Guangdong. It is a highly aquatic newt with a warty dark skin and orange belly.
First described by George S. Myers & Alan E. Leviton in 1962.
- It breeds in streams during the cooler months.
- Its belly has an orange-and-black pattern unique to each individual.
- It is one of Hong Kong's best-known amphibians.
Sources
11 facts checked with sources
- Scientific name
Amphibian (newt). Once lumped with P. chinensis; separated by Fei et al. 2005 (ASW). LEGAL: protected in Hong Kong under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170). CITES: all Paramesotriton spp. were added to Appendix II at CoP18 (2019), so international trade needs CITES permits (Caudata Culture pages still say "No Listing", which is out of date). AmphibiaWeb notes illegal collection is still rampant. US: on the Lacey Act injurious list since 2016 (Bsal rule), so import into the US is prohibited; the 10 Jan 2025 final rule notes that after USARK v. Zinke (D.C. Cir. 2017) movement between states within the continental US is not prohibited, but shipment to/from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, DC and US territories still is. The legacy text "bans import and interstate movement" overstates the interstate part. P. hongkongensis is on the US list. EU/GB: Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/320 requires health certificates and Bsal quarantine/testing for commercial salamander consignments (all Caudata); the GB retained version is the one checked here, so confirm current EU rules under the Animal Health Law.
Amphibian Species of the World: Paramesotriton hongkongensis (Myers and Leviton, 1962) · AmphibiaWeb: Paramesotriton hongkongensis · US Fish & Wildlife Service: List of salamanders designated as injurious · Federal Register 90(6), 10 Jan 2025: Injurious Wildlife Species; Listing Salamanders Due to Risk of Salamander Chytrid Fungus · Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/320 (Bsal salamander trade measures), legislation.gov.uk retained version · Hong Kong AFCD paper ESAC 6/2019 on CITES CoP18 amendments - Familycorrected
New value.
Amphibian Species of the World: Paramesotriton hongkongensis (Myers and Leviton, 1962) - Size
Total length: males 10-12 cm, females 12-14 cm. Legacy 14 cm is the female maximum.
AmphibiaWeb: Paramesotriton hongkongensis · Wikipedia: Hong Kong warty newt - Group size
No minimum group given; male aggression argues against crowding males.
Caudata Culture: Paramesotriton hongkongensis - Lifespancorrected
Wild estimate; legacy 15-20 years not supported (captive animals may live longer, but no source found).
AmphibiaWeb: Paramesotriton hongkongensis - Temperamentcorrected
Legacy "peaceful" contradicted for males.
Caudata Culture: Paramesotriton hongkongensis · AmphibiaWeb: Paramesotriton hongkongensis - Where it livescorrected
New value. IUCN Near Threatened (AmphibiaWeb). ASW gives 270-940 m; AmphibiaWeb says from sea level.
Amphibian Species of the World: Paramesotriton hongkongensis (Myers and Leviton, 1962) · AmphibiaWeb: Paramesotriton hongkongensis - Male or femalecorrected
Legacy "male crest" not supported; the pre-cloacal orange patch and tail stripe are the sourced cues.
AmphibiaWeb: Paramesotriton hongkongensis · Wikipedia: Hong Kong warty newt - Breedingcorrected
Legacy "courtship in spring" is wrong: winter breeder.
AmphibiaWeb: Paramesotriton hongkongensis - Eggs and youngcorrected
Legacy 30-100 is too low.
AmphibiaWeb: Paramesotriton hongkongensis - Storycorrected
Legacy "aquatic most of the year" is wrong for wild adults (captives are often kept aquatic). "Handles cool water well" not sourced.
Wikipedia: Hong Kong warty newt · AmphibiaWeb: Paramesotriton hongkongensis