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SECOND INDIVIDUAL OF A RECENTLY DISCOVERED SPECIES OF

SALAMANDER, Bolitoglossa chucantiensis (CAUDATA:PLETHODONTIDAE),
FROM EASTERN PANAMA

Poster · May 2017

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.18741.01761

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 SECOND INDIVIDUAL OF A RECENTLY DISCOVERED SPECIES OF SALAMANDER,

Bolitoglossa chucantiensis
(CAUDATA:PLETHODONTIDAE), FROM EASTERN PANAMA.

ORLANDO GARCÉS, MADIAN MIRANDA, ROGEMIF FUENTES & ABEL BATISTA

Los Naturalistas, P.O. Box 042601459, David, Chiriqui, Panamá.
Emails: contact@LosNaturalistas.com

Bolitoglossa chucantiensis only is known from premontane

Bolitoglossa is the largest and most widely distributed genus of cloud forest on Cerro Chucantí, with the two specimens having
plethodontid salamanders, which includes about 16% of the been found on a bromeliad and a palm leaf, at elevations above
recognized species (Parra-Olea et al.,2004). In total, 131
1,200 m; its known distribution currently is estimated at fewer
species of Bolitoglossa are distributed from northeastern
than 2 km, at the summit of Cerro Chucantí (see Batista et al.,
Mexico to Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil (AmphibiaWeb, 2016;
Kubicki and Arias, 2016). Four species of this genus, regarded This issue). To date, we have spent 147 man/h searching for
as in the adspersa group, were known from eastern Panama amphibians and reptiles in the vicinity of the type locality, and
(B. biseriata, B. cuna, B. medemi, and B. taylori; Jaramillo et encountered only two specimens. Because of the intensive
al., 2010), and Batista et al. (2014) described a new species surveys we have conducted on Cerro Chucantí and other areas
(B. chucantiensis) of this group from this region. Bolitoglossa
of the Cordillera de Majé, in addtion to other fieldwork in cloud
chucantiensis differs from these congeners by the presence of
a greater number of maxillary teeth in proportion to the snout–
The field team 2016, at 1200 msnm. forests in eastern Panama (in the province of Darién), 2 we
vent length (SVL), a brown dorsal coloration with large patches presume that the distribution of B. chucantiensis is restricted to
with yellow speckling, and the feet are completely webbed, Cerro Chucantí. Accordingly, we suggest that by applying the
with a slight indentation present between the tips of the toes IUCN red list criteria B1ab(ii,iii)+2ab(ii,iii) (IUCN, 2012), this
and fingers. species should be assessed as Critically Endangered. The
distribution of this species is extremely restricted, as it has
been found in only one isolated peak, in an area where the
quality of the habitat and area of occupancy of this species
continues to decline as a result of hábitat degradation caused
by logging for pastures. This species also has been assessed an
Environmental Vulnerability Score of 18, placing it in the upper
portion of the high vulnerability category (Johnson et al.,
2015).

The second specimen of Bolitoglossa chucantiensis found

at the type locality. (A) At the site of encounter; (B) a lateral Table l. Measurements and proportions of the two known specimens of
view of the head, one day after collection; (C, D) a frontal Bolitoglossa chucantiensis. Abbreviations are the same as in Batista et al. (2014).
view; and (E) anlateral view of the body. Photo Abel Batista
After the description of B. chucantiensis, two trips were made (A, C, and E) and Madian Miranda (B).
Measurements Proportions
to the type locality to search for additional specimens,
specifically to gather data for evaluating the morphological Characters (mm) Holotype Topotype Characters Holotype Topotype
variation and ecology of this species. During the first trip to SLV 47 52 TL/SVL 1.17 1.13
this area (2–4 April 2015), three of us (AB, MM, and MP)
TL 55 59 HW/SVL 0.16 0.15
conducted an unsuccessful search. On the second trip we spent
five nights (10–14 October 2016) camping in cloud forest in SG 11.74 12 MT/SVL 1.6 1.25
the vicinity of the type locality, at elevations from 1,200 and HW 7.63 8 VT/SVL 0.53 0.44
1,449 m. On 14 October 2016 at 0118 h, we found a specimen
HD 6.41 4 HAW/SVL 0.08 0.06
of B. chucantiensis (08.80467°N, 78.45896°W; datum WGS
84), 200 m N from where the holotype was collected. This AX 23.18 27 FW/SVL 0.1 0.08
specimen (deposited at the Museo Herpetológico de Chiriquí, HLL 10 10 SG/SVL 0.25 0.23
MHCH 3217, original field number AB 2087; Fig. 1) was found FLL 11 9 VT/MT 0.33 0.35
at an elevation of 1,424 m, 100 m N from the top of Cerro Specimen of Bolitoglossa chucantiensis one day after HAW 3.67 3 SVL/HW 6.6 6.5
collection. Photo Orlando Garcés.
Chucantí, at a temperature of 21°C. The salamander was found
FW 4.63 4
2 m above the ground on a bromeliad leaf, when a gentle
breeze was blowing. A heavy rain, however, had fallen the
LITERATURE CITED LI 13 27
AMPHIBIAWEB. 2016. Information on Amphibian Biology and Conservation.
previous evening from 1500 to 1700 h. Characteristics of the Berkeley, California, United States. (www. amphibiaweb.org;
2016).
accessed 23 October
PMT 2 3
new specimen resembled the description of the B. BATISTA, A., G. KóHLER, K. MEBERT, AND M. VESELY. 2014a. A new
species of Bolitoglossa (Amphibia: Plethodontidae) from eastem Panama, with MT right 38 30
chucantiensis (Batista et al., 2014), as it measured 52 mm in comments on other species of the adspersa species group from eastem Panama.
Mesoameri- can Herpetology 1: 97-121.
snout–vent length (SVL), 59 mm in tail length (TL), and had a BATISTA A., K. MERBERT, S. LOTZKAT, AND L. D. WrLSON. 2016.
MT left 37 32
count of 65 maxillary teeth (MT), (Table. 1); compared to the A new species of centipede snake of the genus Tantilla (Squamata:
Colubridae) from an isolated premontane forest in eastem Panama. Mesoamerican MT total 75 65
holotype (SMF 97141), however, it also shows marginal Herpetology 3: 948-959.
JARAMILLO, C. A., L. D. WILSON, R. lBÁÑEZ, AND f. E. JARAMILLO. VT right 13 11
differences, with the number of teeth being the most 2010. The herpetofauna of Panama: distribution and conser- vation status. Pp. 604-
671 In L. D. Wilson, J. H. Townsend, and J. D. Johnson (Eds.), Conservation of VT left 12 12
conspicuous (Table 1). Nonetheless, no significant Mesoamerican Amphibians and Reptiles. Eagle Mountain Publishing, LC, Eagle
Mountain, Utah, United States.
morphometric differences are present between the JOHNSON J. D., V. MATA-SILVA, ANO L. D. WILSON. 2015. A conserva- tion VT total 25 23
reassessment of the Central American herpetofauna based on the EVS measure.
holotype and this topotypic specimen, as the Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 9(2) [General Section}: 1-94 (elOO).
KuBICKI, B., ANDE. ARIAS. 2016. A beautiful new salamander, genus
proportions are similar (Table 1) Bolitoglossa (Caudata: Plethodontidae), from the northeastem slopes of the
Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica. Zootaxa 4,184: 329-346.
PARRA-ÜLEA, G., M. GARCÍA-PARÍS, AND D. B. WAKE. (2004) Molec- ular Acknowledgments.––We thank Jesus Pérez,
diversification of salamanders of the tropical American genus Bolitoglossa Benjamín, Luis de León, Sr. Juan Zarzavilla from Rio
(Caudata: Plethodontidae) and its evolu- ons. Biological Joumal of the Linnean Pavo and Austin Garrido for field assistance and help
Society ofLondon, 81: 325-346. with the translation, and Guido Berguido for his
support during our stay at the Chucanti private
reserve. This work was supported financially by
ADOPTA Panama.

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