Bolitoglossa psephena is a lungless salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Guatemala and only known from its type locality, Finca Santa Elena near Chimaltenango.[2][3] The specific name is derived from the Greek psephena, meaning dark or obscure, and refers to the uniformly dark coloration of this small salamander.[1]

Bolitoglossa psephena
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Genus: Bolitoglossa
Species:
B. psephena
Binomial name
Bolitoglossa psephena
Campbell, Smith, Streicher, Acevedo, and Brodie [fr], 2010[1]
Type lcality in Guatemala
Type lcality in Guatemala
Bolitoglossa psephena is only known from near Chimaltenango, Guatemala

Description

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The holotype is a female that measures 72 mm (2.8 in) in snout–vent length. Tail length is 52 mm (2.0 in). The snout is rounded in dorsal profile. The dorsum is uniformly dark in preservative and medium brown, with a faint trace of paler brown mottling on the flanks, when photographed in life. Both finger and toe tips are broad and blunt. The terminal phalanges of the fingers are free of webbing. The toe webbing extends to the base of the terminal segments.[1]

Habitat and conservation

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The holotype was collected from montane wet forest at about 2,500 m (8,200 ft) above sea level. The forest is abundant with pines, cypress, firs, oaks, alders, and laurels. As of 2010, the area had good forest patches remaining.[1] As of late 2020, this species had not been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Campbell, Jonathan A.; Smith, Eric N.; Streicher, Jeffrey W.; Acevedo, Manuel E. & Brodie, Edmund D. Jr (2010). "New salamanders (Caudata: Plethodontidae) from Guatemala, with miscellaneous notes on known species". Miscellaneous Publications, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. 200: 1–60. hdl:2027.42/111063.
  2. ^ a b Frost, Darrel R. (2020). "Bolitoglossa psephena Campbell, Smith, Streicher, Acevedo, and Brodie, 2010". Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Bolitoglossa psephena". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  4. ^ "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". Retrieved 25 October 2020.