Pseudohynobius puxiongensis (Fei et Ye, 2000) Diagnosis. This species differs from all other species of the genus by the following combination of features: dorsal color gray-yellow with yellowish spots, dorsal tail with distinct yellowish line (Fig. 1 A); TOL shorter than congeners; TL HW. Tongue large and elliptical. Snout rounded in dorsal view, gently sloping from eye to nostrils. Nostril small, near tip of snout. Eye large, distinctly protuberant; DE slightly less than SL. Eyelid present, no labial fold; the gular fold distinct. Angle of jaw just posterior to rear corner of eye with a protuberance from angle of jaw to gular fold. Longitudinal groove present on protuberance from the angle of jaw to the gular fold and intersecting with transverse groove of angle of jaw (Fig. 1 A). A “V”-shaped protuberance present on the posterior eyelid, and extending posteriorly to the middle of the tip of head. Traits Ps. puxiongensis Ps. flavomaculatus 1 Ps. kuankuoshuiensis 2 1Data for P. flavomaculatus are from Fei and Ye (1982). 2Data for P. kuankuoshuiensis are from Xu et al. (2007).3 Data for P. shuichengensis are from Tian et al. (1998). 4Data for P. jinfo are from Wei et al. (2009). 5Data for P. guizhouensis are from Li et al. (2010). Body cylindrical and slender, with 11 costal grooves. The skin of the dorsum and venter slippery, scattered with many microscopic granular glands. Dorsum with distinct groove from the back of head to the base of tail. Feeble longitudinal groove present in the middle of the belly (Fig. 1 B). Cloaca rounded with a longitudinal groove, abundant yellowish pigment at the posterior cloaca, little pigmented at the anterior cloaca, and central cloaca protruded to form a papillate. Limbs well developed, the hindlimb slightly longer and more robust than forelimb. When forelimb and hindlimb are adpressed to the side of the trunk, tips of digits meet or slightly overlap. In order of decreasing length, fingers 2-3-4-1; toes 3-4-2-5-1. Tips of fingers and toes rounded, without horny cover. No palmar or tarsal tubercles or digital webbing. Tail short, less than SVL, slightly wide than more than high, cylindrical at base, flattened gradually toward the tip, and strongly tapered in the end. Upper tail fin fold feeble, originating at a point 3/4 of the distance from base to tip of tail, gradually increasing posteriorly; no lower tail fin fold. Skull. The elements of the skull are as follows (Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 A copied from Peng et al., 2010): upper jaw composed of paired premaxillae at the rostral tip; lateral paired maxillaries; both bear many teeth. Processus dorsalis praemaxillaris extends posteriorly parallel to the longitudinal axis of the skull, and terminates above the anterior ½ of the nasal. Paired nasals situated close to each other anteriorly, reaching anterior of frontal, and extending laterally to the lacrimal. Premaxillary fontanelle present between the premaxillaries and nasals; fronto-parietal fontanelle absent between frontal and parietal; internasal absent between the nasals and premaxillaries. The anterior portion of the lacrimal extends to external nares and orbit; covered by nasal and processus facialis maxillaries. Lacrimal overlaps anterior portion of prefrontal. Paired frontals located in the middle of the skull; overlapped anteriorly by nasals; overlapping anterior portion of parietals. Posterior end of each parietal overlaps exoccipital. Posterior end of the maxillary not sutured to anterior end of pterygoid, but connected to pterygoid by cartilaginous tissue. Squamosal overlaps quadrate and posterior pterygoid; fixed to the lateral area of upper skull (Fig. 3 A). Paired vomers lie laterally to the anterior portion of the parasphenoid and form the ventral part of the skull. Anterior part of vomer connected to adjacent premaxilla and maxillary. The posterior vomer overlaps anterior portion of unpaired parasphenoid. Vomerine tooth rows located on posterior portion of the vomer, arranged in shape, not connected at midline. Tooth rows form inner and outer series; inner series beginning at end of vomer and outer series ending at posterior choanae; the inner series (7–8 teeth) slightly longer than the outer series (4–7 teeth). The widest part of parasphenoid located slightly behind prootic. Paired orbitosphenoids enclosed by parasphenoid, frontal and parietal. Operculum posterior to squamosal, shares cartilaginous otic capsule with exoccipital; parasphenoid overlaps the capsule (Fig. 2 B). The lower jaw (not shown) consists of four bony elements on each side. The paired dentaries, bearing teeth, enclose Meckel’s cartilage. The long angular lies parallel to dentary and prearticular overlaps angular medially. Coloration. In life, dorsal color gray-yellow, variegated with yellowish spots, venter grayish, and dorsal tail with distinct yellowish line. Fingers and toes silvery white (Fig. 1 A). Ventral color generally gray (Fig. 1 B). In preservative, dorsal color brownish, and ventral color deep grey, yellowish spots appearing as grey spots. Variation. Internasal bone and premaxillary fontanelle absent in some specimens; premaxillary fontanelle present in all specimens other than holotype. Color varies as follows: CIB-XM3365 brownish with scattered light yellowish spots; CIB-XM3364 and CIB-XM3323 gray-brown, mottled with yellowish spots on dorsum. A yellowish line present on underside of tail of CIB-XM3323 but absent in other specimens. Larva (Fig. 3 A; Table 1). Head depressed, HW

Published as part of Xiong, Jian-Li, Gu, Hai-Jun, Gong, Tian-Jian & Zeng, Xiao-Mao, 2011, Redescription of an enigmatic salamander, Pseudohynobius puxiongensis (Fei et Ye, 2000) (Urodela: Hynobiidae), pp. 51-59 in Zootaxa 2919 on pages 52-58, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.202733