| Hynobius fossigenus | |
|---|---|
| |
| An adult male | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Hynobiidae |
| Genus: | Hynobius |
| Species: | H. fossigenus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Hynobius fossigenus Okamiya, Sugawara, Nagano & Poyarkov, 2018
| |
| |
| Its distribution is comprised by the area in red. | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Hynobius luteopunctatus (partim) | |
Hynobius fossigenus is a species of salamander in the family Hynobiidae, and is found in some prefectures in Kantō and Chūbu districts in Japan.
Like all species in the genus Hynobius, it has lungs, its tail is smaller than its body, and it does not have claws on its fingertips. However, characteristics such as its purplish coloration with golden spots, its size, and its use of lotic waters to reproduce make this species different from all the others.
The individuals breed between December and April in mountain streams surrounded by Cryptomeria japonica evergreen forests. After mating, the females lay their eggs in envelopes, which are thick, transparent, and resistant, where they remain for sixty days, when the embryo fully develops in the egg. After hatching, the tadpoles leave the envelope and start living under rocks or at the bottom of streams, completing their metamorphosis within a year. The males become adults around the age of five, while the females become adults around the age of seven.