Description
Bolitoglossa yucatana is a medium sized salamander that rarely grows longer than 129 mm TL. The body and tail are usually the same length, with SVL averaging 55 mm (Lee 1996). Wake and Lynch (1976) found that the tail of B. yucatana is often swollen with fat, an apparent adaptation to the dry conditions in which the species lives. Both the fingers and toes have complete webbing.

Bolitoglossa yucatana varies in coloration: the dorsal region has been observed as blue-black (Peters 1882), brownish black (Duellman 1965), and many different shades of brown. This region can be mottled with cream or tan. A dark brown triangular patch of color can often be distinguished between the eyes. The sides are usually dark brown, changing to a brownish black or tan color venterally. This underside region can show white spotting (Dundee and Scheibe 2000).

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Mexico

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Bolitoglossa yucatana is found throughout the northern Yucatan and Quintana Roo states of Mexico. There have been a few records of specimens found in the south-central state of Campeche and two found in the very northern regions of Belize.

This species usually resides in caves or cenotes, but it can also be found in thorn forests and tropical evergreen forests. Bolitoglossa yucatana is very tolerant of dry conditions (see Description) (Dundee and Scheibe 2000).

Comments
Etymology:

The species name, "yucatana," refers to the area in which it most commonly occurs, the Peninsula de Yucatan (Dundee and Scheibe 2000).

References

Duellman, W. E. (1965). ''Amphibians and reptiles from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.'' University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History, 15, 577-614.

Dundee, H. A., and Scheibe, J. S. (2000). ''Bolitoglossa yucatana.'' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, 702.1-702.3.

Lee, J. C. (1996). The Amphibians and Reptiles of the Yucatan Peninsula. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York.

Peters, W. (1882). ''Eine neue Art der urodelen Batrachier, Oedipus yucatanus, aus Yucatan (Centralamerica).'' Sitzungs-Ber. Ges. naturforsch. Freunde Berlin, (9), 137-138.

Wake, D. B., Lynch, J. F. (1976). ''The distribution, ecology, and evolutionary history of plethodontid salamanders in tropical America.'' Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Science Bulletin, 25(1), 1-75. [link]

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2007 Bolitoglossa yucatana: Yucatan Salamander <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/4023> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Sep 17, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 17 Sep 2024.

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