In the following pages various aspects of the occurrence, life
histories, ecology, and variation of the species of amphibians and
reptiles known from southern El Petén are discussed. Only _Cochranella
fleischmanni_ reported by Stuart (1937) from Río Subín at Santa Teresa
was not collected by us and is excluded. Because more worthwhile
information was gathered for some species than others, the length and
completeness of the accounts vary. All specimens listed are in the
Museum of Natural History at the University of Kansas, to which
institution all catalog numbers refer. Preceding the discussion of each
species is an alphabetical list of localities from which specimens were
obtained; numbers after a locality indicate the number of specimens
obtained at each locality.
=Bolitoglossa dofleini= (Werner)
Chinajá, 1.
An adult female having minute ovarian eggs has a snout-vent length of 81
mm., a tail length of 59 mm., 13 costal grooves, two intercostal spaces
between adpressed toes, 38-35 vomerine teeth in irregular rows forming a
broad arch from a point posterolaterad to the internal nares to a point
near the anterior edge of the parasphenoid teeth, and 43-44
maxilliary-premaxillary teeth. In life the dorsum was rusty brown with
irregular black and orange spots and streaks. The flanks were bluish
gray with black in the costal grooves and creamy tan flecks along the
ventral edge of the flank. The belly and underside of the tail were
yellowish tan with dark brown spots laterally. The limbs were orange
proximally and black distally; the pads of the feet were bluish black.
The dorsal and lateral surfaces of the tail were yellowish orange with
black spots. The iris was grayish yellow.
Stuart (1943:17) reported this species from Finca Volcán, Alta Verapaz.
He diagnosed his specimens as having 13 costal grooves and two or three
intercostal spaces between adpressed toes. He stated that the vomerine
teeth were about 12 in number and that in life the dorsum was mottled
gray and black, the sides gray and brown, and the undersurfaces
uniformly dark gray. These specimens differ noticeably from the
individual from Chinajá in the number of vomerine teeth and in
coloration.
In August, 1961, I obtained a specimen of _Bolitoglossa dofleini_ at
Finca Los Alpes, Alta Verapaz, approximately 13 kilometers airline
south-southwest of Finca Volcán and at approximately the same elevation.
Although the salamander was dead when found, it obviously was more
heavily pigmented than the individual from Chinajá. The belly was bluish
gray with black spots laterally; the dorsum was dull brownish gray with
some brownish red streaks. The specimen is a female having small ovarian
eggs, a snout-vent length of 90 mm., 13 costal grooves, and two
intercostal spaces between adpressed limbs. There are 28-29 vomerine
teeth, more than twice as many as in specimens from Finca Volcán
(Stuart, 1943:17), but noticeably fewer than in the specimen from
Chinajá.
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