Bolitoglossa tapajonica Brcko, Hoogmoed & Neckel-Oliveira, 2013, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Brcko, Isabela Carvalho
name: Hoogmoed, Marinus Steven
name: Neckel-Oliveira, Selvino
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Amphibia
Caudata
Plethodontidae
Bolitoglossa
Bolitoglossa tapajonica

description: Bolitoglossa tapajonica sp. nov.
(Figures 5 B, 6)
Bolitoglossa altamazonica — Wake et al. 1982: 14 (in part).
Bolitoglossa paraensis — Neckel-Oliveira & Hoogmoed 2010 (in part); SEMA-PA 2008: [23] (in part); Peloso 2010: 669 (in part); Segalla et al. 2010 (in part).
Bolitoglossa sp.— Neckel-Oliveira et al. 2011: 457 (in part).
Holotype. MPEG 22176, adult 3, Barroso region, 02° 28’ 18” S, 56° 00’ 44” W, Municipality of Juruti, state of Pará, Brazil, 90 m elevation, 8-II-2007, leg. P. Suárez during nocturnal collecting.
Paratypes. 22 individuals: Brazil, Pará state: Municipality of Itaituba: Parque Nacional da Amazônia, Uruá, near Tapajós river, 04° 37’ S, 56° 15’ W, 130 m elevation: MZUSP 52837, juvenile, 14-XI-1978, leg. M.T. Rodrigues, USNM 288553, 3, 28-I-1979, leg. R. Crombie; MPEG 31695, Ƥ, Floresta Nacional de Itaituba II, Aldeia Nova, near Tapajós River, 04° 42’ 15,8” S, 56° 23’ 0,0” W, 80 m elevation, 25-III-2009, leg. J. O. Gomes, M.J. Sturaro and P.L. Peloso; MPEG 31691, Ƥ, Parque Nacional da Amazônia, BR 230 km 82, 04° 33’ 17,7” S, 56° 18’ 07,9” W, 120 m elevation, 9-VII-2009, leg. J. Frota; MPEG 31693–31694, 2 juveniles, Parque Nacional da Amazônia, BR 230 km 82, 04° 36’ 0,9” S, 56° 19’ 49” W, 80 m elevation, 1-IX-2009 and 14-XI-2009, leg. J. Frota; MPEG 31692, juvenile, Parque Nacional da Amazônia, BR 230 km 82, 04° 33’ 45,5” S, 56° 18’ 27,3” W, 80 m elevation, 11-III-2010, leg. J. Frota; Municipality of Juruti: MPEG 22176–22178, 3 3, same locality data as holotype; MPEG 27470, Ƥ, Mutum region, 02° 36’ 34” S, 56° 9’10” W, 110 m elevation, April/ May 2009, leg. H. Figueira and J.F. Sarmento; MPEG 31686–31690, 5 juveniles, same locality data as holotype, 18- I-2011 and 26- I- 2011, leg. A. Menks, F. Silva, J.C. Costa, J.F. Sarmento and L. Frazão; MPEG 33293–33297, 5 Ƥ, same locality data as holotype, 22-III-2011, leg. F. Correa, L. Frazão and M. Gordo; Municipality of Vitória do Xingú: MPEG 34629, Ƥ, Belo Monte Hydroeletric Project, near Xingu river, 03° 18’ 5” S, 51° 54’ 39” W, 117 m elevation, 16-V- 2012, leg. F.C. Poli.
Comparisons with other species. Distinguished from species of all other genera of Neotropical salamanders by presence of extensive digital webbing, 13 costal grooves between the limbs and the absence of a sublingual fold. A moderately small, rather robust species of Bolitoglossa, with digits completely webbed, morphologically similar to other species of Brazilian Amazonia. It can be distinguished from other Amazonian Bolitoglossa by the following characteristics (condition for B. tapajonica sp. nov. in parentheses): B. altamazonica: TL/SL in adult males 70–120% (70–80%) and in adult females 60–100% (80–90%), PT in adult males 2–3 (3–5). B. peruviana: SL/HW in adult males 5.2–6.3 times (6.9–8.0 times) and in adult females 5.9–7.0 times (7.0–8.0 times), TL/SL in adult males 80–100% (70–80%) and in adult females 70–100% (80–90%), MT/SL in adult males 0.2–0.8 teeth per mm (0.4 teeth per mm) and in adult females 0.3–1.4 teeth per mm (0.3–0.6 teeth per mm), PT in adult males and females 0–3 (3–5), B. paraensis: SNL/HL ≥ 40% in adult males and females (≤ 44%); LWS/HL>70% in adult males (≤ 76%); tail becoming thinner at about half its length (tail becoming thinner at about one-third of its length); PT in adult males 1–3 (3–5); DT in adult males and females 18–68, mean 41 (> 31, mean 48). B. caldwellae sp. nov.: SL in adult males 32.3–39.2 mm, mean 35.2 mm (38.8–42.8 mm, mean 41.4 mm) and in adult females 30.2– 43.2 mm, mean 34.8 mm (35.5–49.3 mm, mean 41.5 mm), EN/SNL in adult males 90–120% (60–100%) and in adult females 80–130% (70–100%), wide head (narrow head), SL/HW 6.3–6.9 times in adult males (6.9–8.0 times) and 6.1–7.0 times in adult females (6.8–7.9 times), PT in adult males 2–4, mean 3 (3–5, mean 4). B. madeira sp. nov.: SL in adult females 49.8–58.9 mm (35.5–49.3 mm), HD/HL <50% in adult females (≥ 50%); VT in adult females 20–33 (10–22), DT in adult females 53–78 (31–54), For comparison of selected morphometric and dentition characters for B. altamazonica, B. paraensis, B. peruviana, B. tapajonica sp. nov., B. caldwellae sp. nov. and B. madeira sp. nov. see Table 3.
Measurements (in mm) and counts of holotype (MPEG 22176): Total length 77.9; SL 42.4; SVL 38.2; HL 6.6;HW 6.1; HD 3.8; SGF 10.0; EYW 1.3; EYL 3.0; SNL 2.2; SP 0.8; SWS 3.8; LWS 4.7; EN 1.4; OD 2.4; DBE 2.3; IDE 3.8; WMG 2.5; LMG 3.1; NGGF 3.7; SA 13.4; AG 22.8; PECW 5.1; interval between adpressed fore- and hind limbs 4.5 costal folds; 13 costal grooves; FL 9.3; HLL 9.1; HDW 2.6; FW 3.7; LIIIF 2.8; LIIIT 3.2; LVT 1.5; TL 34.5; TW 3.7; TD 3.5; VL 3.9; number of teeth: PT 3, MT 8–8, VT 7–7, DT 28–28.
Coloration of the holotype in preservative (Figure 6). Dorsal surface of body dark brown with some diffuse patches of varied size and shades of brown. Insertion of limbs paler (light gray). A dark gray dorsolateral stripe. Ventral surface dark brown with cream spots. Snout with cream specks above nasolabial protuberances. Mental gland apparent, light gray.
Description. Rather robust species, moderately small in size. Maximum total length 79.3 mm. SL paratypes 38.8–42.8 mm (mean 41.4 mm) in four adult males, 35.5–49.3 mm (mean 41.5 mm) in nine adult females. Species with moderately narrow head, SL/HW 6.9–8.0 times (mean 7.3 times) in males, 6.8–7.9 times (mean 7.5 times) in females; head slightly flattened, about 1.1 to 1.2 times longer than wide; head as wide as neck. Eyes prominent; horizontal orbit diameter varies from 90–120% (mean 90%) of the snout length. Eyes protrude beyond lateral margins of head, well visible in dorsal view. Nasolabial protuberances moderately developed in males and females.
Snout short, SNL/HL 30–44% (mean 38%), broad, SWS/HL 50–60% (mean 50%) in males, 40–60% (mean 50%) in females. Snout slightly rounded in dorsal and lateral views; some individuals with concave area in the middle of the extremity of the snout. Canthus rostralis not distinct. Nostrils small, located near tip of snout. Mental gland present only in adult males, oval, WMG 2.7–3.1 mm (mean 2.9 mm), LMG 2.0– 2.5 mm (mean 2.3 mm). Body cylindrical, 13 distinct and deep costal grooves. Limbs slender and short, costal interspaces between adpressed fore- and hind limbs 3.5–4.5 (mean 4.0). Hands and feet moderately broad, completely webbed with distal phalanges of longest digits free. Fingers in order of decreasing length 3–2–4–1; toes 3–2–4–5–1. Original tail round in cross-section, becoming thinner at about one-third of its length; rather short, TL/SL 73–84% (mean 78%) in two males, 77–88% (mean 83%) in six females. Number of teeth in adults: PT 3–5 (mean 4) in males, 1–3 (mean 2) in females. No relation between the number of maxillary teeth and length (r2 = 0.06; p=0.45), MT 14–28 (mean 18) in males, 12–26 (mean 16) in eight females (Figure 7 B). The number of vomerine teeth increases with length (r2 = 0.14; p=0.22), VT 6–14 (mean 11) in males, 10–22 (mean 15) in eight females (Figure 7 C). The number of dentary teeth increases with length (r2 = 0.13; p=0.22), DT 56–62 (mean 57) in males, 31–54 (mean 44) in females (Figure 7 D).
Coloration of paratypes in life. The color description is based on R. Crombie’s field notes (USNM 288553) and photographs made by H. Figueira (specimen MPEG 27470), J.C. Costa (specimens MPEG 31687–31688), J. O. Gomes and P.L. Peloso (specimen MPEG 31695), and J. Frota (specimen MPEG 31691). Dorsal surface of body reddish-brown with irregular brown spots or striations (USNM 288553). Flanks may have the same coloration as the dorsal surface (MPEG 27470) or show gray to dark brown stripes (MPEG 31691) with small white spots (MPEG 31695). Some individuals have an irregular dark brown blotch on top of the head (MPEG 27470) and others have a triangular brown marking, originating between the eyes, with the apex extending posteriorly, following the mid-dorsal line (MPEG 31691 and MPEG 31695). Ventral surface dark gray with whitish spots (MPEG 31687–88, USNM 288553). Most specimens have the snout lighter than the rest of the body, ranging from light brown (MPEG 31695) to cream (MPEG 27470). Elbows and knees with cream colored spots. Iris orange.
Coloration of paratypes in preservative. Dorsal ground color from dark gray to dark brown. Some specimens are spotted, mainly on mid-dorsal region and top of head, whereas others have light gray stripes. Dorsolateral surface may present dark gray stripes. Ventral surface from light to dark brown or with no pigmentation on anterior part of venter. All individuals with white spots on venter. Snout of most individuals cream, except the nostrils. Few specimens have white blotches above nasolabial protuberances. Flanks, elbows and knees cream mottled. Mental gland light gray.
Habitat and range. Known only from the western part of Pará state, south of the Amazon river (municipality Juruti) and on both sides of the Tapajós river in the municipality Itaituba (Figure 8). Despite recent fieldwork in the area of RESEX Tapajós-Arapiuns, it has not been reported from the municipalities of Santarém and Aveiro, which separate the presently known localities. Recently a single specimen (MPEG 34629) was collected on the west bank of the Xingú river in Vitória do Xingú in the Belo Monte area near Altamira, well east of the Tapajós river, which brings its distribution area close to that of B. paraensis. The elevation where individuals were found varied between 78 and 155 m above sea level. Individuals usually were active at night on leaves of small shrubs, palms, Heliconia sp. and lianas 0.3 to 2.0 m above the ground, but also were found on the ground. The holotype was collected at night, about 1.0 m above the ground on leaf of bush near stream in slightly disturbed area of primary terra firme forest.
Etymology. The specific epithet is taken from the lower Tapajós river region, the type locality. This region is located in western Pará, bordered in the north by the Amazon river and traversed from south to north by the Tapajós river.
description: Published as part of Brcko, Isabela Carvalho, Hoogmoed, Marinus Steven & Neckel-Oliveira, Selvino, 2013, Taxonomy and distribution of the salamander genus Bolitoglossa Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 (Amphibia, Caudata, Plethodontidae) in Brazilian Amazonia, pp. 401-431 in Zootaxa 3686 (4) on pages 416-418, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3686.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/218255