Description
Bolitoglossa madeira is a large, cylindrical, but slightly flattened salamander described from two female individuals with a standard length of 49.8 mm and 59.8 mm. The larger specimen had a total length of 114.0 mm and the smaller was 86.0 mm. Two juveniles were also used for the species description. The head is flattened and slender. On average, the standard length is 7.9 times the length of its head. The head is 6.8 mm - 6.9 mm wide and is approximately the same width as the neck. The small nostrils are at the tip of the snout. The canthus rostralis is not obvious. The eyes are prominent and protrude beyond the lateral margins of the head. The orbital diameter varies from 70 - 80% of snout length, which ranges from 2.5 mm - 2.9 mm long. Although weakly developed, there are nasolabial protuberances that are 1.0 mm - 1.3 mm in length. The body has 13 costal grooves and short robust limbs that when adpressed towards each other have 4.5 costal grooves between them. The broad hands and feet have extensive webbing with free digit tips. The finger lengths from largest to smallest are: 3, 2, 4, 1, with the length of the third finger ranging from 3.1 mm - 3.4 mm. The toe lengths from largest to smallest are: 3, 2, 4, 5, 1, with the length of the third toe ranging from 3.4 mm - 4.1 mm long. The tail is round and plump and measures 36.2 mm - 55.1 mm long (Brcko et al. 2023).

DIAGNOSIS:

From all other Neotropical salamanders, B. madeira is distinguished by its 13 costal grooves between limbs and lack of sublingual fold. Bolitoglossa madeira is most distinctive from other species of Brazilian Amazonian Bolitoglossa, B. caldwellae, B. paraensis, and B. tapajonica by its large size. The total length of B. madeira averages 30% longer than other species. Bolitoglossa madeira is distinguished from B. altamazonica by the ratio of standard length to head length. The standard length of B. altamazonica is 5.7 - 7.6 times as large as its head, while the standard length of B. madeira is 6.7 - 7.0 times as large as its head. Additionally, the distance between the anterior corners of the eyes is 30 - 50% of the head length in B. altamazonica, while the same distance is 60% of the head length in B. madeira. Lastly, B. peruviana has a smaller standard length of 30.1 – 42.4 mm than B. madeira (Brcko et al. 2013).

COLORATION: (Please indicate if it is in life and or in preservative or if it’s unclear from the text)

COLORATION IN LIFE

After being preserved, B. madeira retains much of its color as in life. The dorsal surface lightens to a yellowish-brown. Cream-colored spots appear on the light brown ventral side, as well as above the nasolabial protuberance. However, some specimens appear cream, yellow, or dark brown with brown or reddish markings (Brcko et al. 2013).

VARIATION:

There is variation in coloration after preservation (See above, Brcko et al. 2013).

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Brazil

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Bolitoglossa madeira is known to occur in forested wetland habitats 70 - 100 m above sea level on the left bank of the Madeira River, within the state of Rondônia, Brazil. Specimens are most commonly found near rivers and streams in the forest (Brcko et al. 2013).

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
This species requires high levels of humidity, and must remain close to river banks (IUCN 2021). The species is often found on vegetation between 0.7 and 1.5 m above the ground (Brcko et al. 2013).

Larva
As a Plethodon, this species is expected to reproduce via direct development.

Trends and Threats
The habitat of B.madeira along the Rio Madeira is actively being developed for hydroelectric energy projects, leading to the destruction of livable land (Brcko et al. 2013, IUCN 2021). The two localities in which the initial specimens were discovered have now been flooded, and B. madeira is considered extinct at these locations. However, due to the rarity of the species, IUCN determined that not enough data was present to make a determination of the threat level B. madeira experience (IUCN 2021).

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

Dams changing river flow and/or covering habitat

Comments
Researchers conducted a stepwise discriminant function analysis on the morphology of Brazilian specimens of Bolitoglossa that resulted in the description of three new species: B. caldwellae, B. madeira, and B. tapajonica. In this analysis, they used 13 characteristics: standard length, head length, snout to gular fold, head width, snout length, orbital diameter, interorbital distance, axilla to snout, snout width at the narrowest point, snout projection beyond mandible, axilla to groin, length of third toe, and eyelid width. The first discriminant factor accounted for 81% of the variation, and the first and second discrimination factors together accounted for 100% of species variation. The length of the third toe was the first characteristic selected, and correctly identified 64% of specimens. After adding the rest of the characteristics, species were confidently identified 90% of the time, with an 88% jackknife (Brcko et al. 2013).

Avila-Pires et al. (2007) had previously noted the existence of a species larger than other known Amazonian Bolitoglossa in the municipality Porto Velho, which we now know as B. madeira. Previously, they had considered the species to belong to B. paraensis in the absence of more information (Brcko et al. 2013).

References
Avila-Pires, T.C.S., Hoogmoed, M.S. and Vitt, L.J. (2007). Herpetofauna da Amazônia: 13-43. In: Nascimento, L.B. & Oliveira, M.E. (Eds), Herpetologia no Brasil II. Sociedade Brasileira de Herpetologia, Belo Horizonte, 354 pp.

Brcko, I. C., Hoogmoed, M. S., and Neckel-Oliveira, S. (2013). Taxonomy and distribution of the salamander genus Bolitoglossa Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 (Amphibia, Caudata, Plethodontidae) in Brazilian Amazonia. Zootaxa, 3686(4), 401-431. [link]

IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. 2023. Bolitoglossa madeira. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T81659704A86255753. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T81659704A86255753.en. Accessed on 2 December 2024.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2024 Bolitoglossa madeira: Madeira Mushroomtongue Salamander <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/8031> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed May 5, 2025.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2025. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 5 May 2025.

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