Salamanders of the Genus Bolitoglossa from the Sierra Madre del Sur of Southern Mexico

Abstract

The Sierra Madre del Sur of Oaxaca and Guerrero, along the west coast of Mexico, marks the northwestern limits of Bolitoglossa. The 3 spp. known from these mountains comprise the B. macrinii group, which differs from all other Bolitoglossa beta by lacking mental gland clusters in adult males and in having extremely weak premaxillary bones that frequently have incomplete frontal processes. B. macrinii and B. riletti occur in Oaxaca and B. hermosa sp. nov. was recently found in Guerrero. These species can be distinguished by differences in color pattern and amount of foot webbing. The 3 spp. are also well differentiated on the basis of morphometric and electrophoretic differences.