The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacán, MéxicoDuellman, William Edward
Science
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacán, México
Duellman, William Edward
Amphibians -- Mexico -- Michoacán de Ocampo; Reptiles -- Mexico -- Michoacán de Ocampo
Cerro Tancítaro (36); Opopeo; Pátzcuaro.
This small rattlesnake inhabits rocky areas in pine and pine-oak forests
above 1600 meters in the Cordillera Volcánica; it has been collected at
3270 meters on Cerro Tancítaro. The series reported by Schmidt and
Shannon (1947:84) is a mixture of specimens of _Crotalus triseriatus_
and _Crotalus pusillus_. The two species are found together on Cerro
Tancítaro, but only _Crotalus pusillus_ inhabits the coniferous forests
of the Sierra de Coalcomán. Klauber (1952:30) stated that despite the
proximity of _Crotalus triseriatus triseriatus_ and _Crotalus
triseriatus aquilus_ in Michoacán, there is no evidence of
intergradation. He went on to suggest that additional material might
show that the two named populations actually are distinct species. The
specimens that have been studied since Klauber's investigations also
show no evidence of intergradation, but there still is no known sympatry
of the populations.
The small montane rattlesnakes belonging to the species _C. pricei_, _C.
pusillus_, and _C. triseriatus_ present a problem in systematics and
distribution worthy of intensive investigation. A knowledge of the
distribution and relationships of the various populations of these
snakes, together with other species also living in isolated populations
on the higher mountains in México, probably will be of great
significance in understanding dispersal and differentiation of animals
during the Pleistocene.
SPECIES OF QUESTIONABLE OCCURRENCE
Some species for which there are no authentic records from Michoacán can
be expected there on zoogeographic probability. Other species have been
recorded from Michoacán, but these records are doubtful for any one of
several reasons. Fifteen species of such questionable occurrence are
discussed below:
~Syrrhophus modestus modestus~ Taylor
_Syrrhophus modestus_ Taylor, Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull.,
28:304, May 15, 1942.--Hacienda Paso del Río, Colima,
México.
_Syrrhophus modestus modestus_, Duellman, Occ. Pap. Mus.
Zool. Univ. Michigan, 594:5, June 6, 1958.
This small terrestrial frog is not uncommon on the coastal lowlands and
foothills in Nayarit and in Colima, where it has been collected within a
few kilometers of the Michoacán border. At Tecolapa, Colima, on August
9, 1956, _Syrrhophus modestus modestus_ was found with _Tomodactylus
nitidus orarius_, _Bufo marinus_, _Bufo marmoreus_, _Hyla baudini_,
_Hyla smithi_, and _Phyllomedusa dacnicolor_, all of which occur on the
coastal lowlands of Michoacán. Because of its solitary and secretive
habits, _Syrrhophus modestus modestus_ is not common in collections.
Additional field work on the coast of Michoacán should reveal the
presence of the species there.
~Hyla microcephala sartori~ Smith
_Hyla microcephala sartori_ Smith, Herpetologica, 7:186,
December 31, 1951.--1 mi. N of Organos, S of El Triente,
Guerrero, México.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account