Tylototriton houi

Natural history: The new species inhabits highelevation subalpine meadows surrounded by conifer and mixed broadleaf forests, where permanent or ephemeral ponds (filled by seasonal rains) are available (Hernandez et al., 2019). On average, T. (T.) houi occurs at higher elevations than any other crocodile newt (2714 – 3200 m a. s. l.). Breeding is aquatic: adults and larvae (depicted in Fig. 10) were observed in vegetated and non-vegetated ponds with roughly neutral pH (6.6 – 7.7), shared with anuran tadpoles of Bombina maxima (Boulenger, 1905), Rana chaochiaoensis Liu, 1946, Bufo andreaesi Schmidt, 1925, Nanorana yunnanensis (Anderson, 1879). Courtship behaviour has never been observed. Eggs are round, deposited underwater on rocks and submerged terrestrial plants, with capsules of 4.4 – 5.7 mm in diameter, surrounding embryos of 1.2 – 1.8 mm (AH pers. obs.).