Description
Bolitoglossa qeqom is a medium-sized salamander that has a male snout-vent length range of 49.8 - 73.1 mm and a female range of 63.4 - 87.0 mm. It has a broad head with bulging eyes, a large mental gland, and long limbs. Its adpressed limbs are only separated by one costal fold. It has reduced webbing on the hands and feet. Its phalangeal formulae are 1 - 2 - 3 - 2 for its hands and 1 - 2 - 3 - 3 - 2 for its feet. It has a thick tail that narrows slightly at the base and is 79 - 96% shorter than the snout-vent length (Dahinten-Bailey et. al 2021).

DIAGNOSIS:

Several morphological features distinguish B. qeqom from others in its sub-genus, Magnadigita. Its large size distinguishes it from all other Magnadigita salamanders besides B. franklini, B. lincolni, B. meliana, B. omniumsanctorum, and B. tenebrosa. The presence of only one costal groove between its adpressed limbs sets it apart from B. franklini, B. lincolni, B. meliana, B. tenebrosa, and B. tzultacaj. The webbing on its feet, which covers all but two phalanges on its hands and one phalange on its feet, is also distinct from B. franklini, B. lincolni, B. meliana, B. tenebrosa, and B. tzultacaj, which either have more absent or extensive webbing. It also differs from B. franklini, B. meliana, and B. tenebrosa in having a relatively shorter tail (Dahinten-Bailey et. al 2021).

COLORATION:

In life, B. qeqom has a homogenous black coloration across its entire dorsum that may appear somewhat purple in direct light. The areas around its nostrils and knees are tinted slightly pink. The ventrum is a lighter gray color that remains unbroken across the body and tail. In preservation, the extremities may turn brown or gray, and a faint white line can be observed on the underside of its tail (Dahinten-Bailey et. al 2021).

VARIATION:

Little morphological variation was observed among the specimens; its color pattern is very uniform. However, the females tend to be larger than the males (Dahinten-Bailey et. al 2021).

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: . Introduced: Guatemala.

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

The type locality for B. qeqom is cloud forest at 1,900 m in San Cristóbal Verapaz, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. The elevation and human activities around the site cause the area to be isolated from other similar habitats, and the species is likely endemic to this site (Dahinten-Bailey et. al 2021).

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Bolitoglossa qeqom is terrestrial, having been found mostly on ground vegetation and debris. It appears to be active at night, resting under leaf litter or in crevices during the day. It is relatively common at its type locality (Dahinten-Bailey et. al 2021).

Like other members in its genus, B. qeqom is likely a direct developer. (Dahinten-Bailey et. al 2021).

Larva
Like other members in its genus, B. qeqom is likely a direct developer. (Dahinten-Bailey et. al 2021).

Trends and Threats
Farming activities around the perimeter of its habitat have contributed to fragmentation of the range of B. qeqom. Logging for fuelwood and agriculture have also shrunk the range available to this species (Dahinten-Bailey et. al 2021).

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

General habitat alteration and loss
Habitat modification from deforestation, or logging related activities
Intensified agriculture or grazing
Habitat fragmentation
Disease

Comments

PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS:

ETYMOLOGY:

The species epithet is from the word, “Q’eqom,” which is a Poqomchi Mayan word meaning “dark”, in reference to its black coloration and nocturnal behavior (Dahinten-Bailey et. al 2021).

References
Dahinten-Bailey, H., Serrano, M. J., Alonso-Ascencio, M., Cruz-Font, J. J., Rosito- Prado, I., Ruiz-Villanueva, K. J. A., Vásquez-Almazan, C., and Ariano-Sáchez, D. (2021). A new species of Bolitoglossa (Caudata: Plethodontidae) of the Bolitoglossa franklini group from an isolated cloud forest in northern Guatemala. Zootaxa 4966(2), 202–214. [link]

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2023 Bolitoglossa qeqom <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/9374> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed May 4, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 4 May 2024.

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