Description

Description:

Diagnosis:

Chiropterotriton totonacus is of medium size, phylogenetically comparable to Chiropterotriton ceronorum, C. perotensis, and C. lavae. A way to differentiate C. totonacus from similar species is by its first digit, which is distinct and is webbing except at its tip (Parra-Olea et al. 2020).

Coloration:

In life, the dorsal background is an extremely dark brownish grey with its head being dark grey. The gular region is pale gray and the ventral surface of the tail, limbs, and body are medium grey. The iris is dark golden-brown (Parra-Olea et al. 2020).

Variation:

In three specimens, the dorsal patterning differed from a broad reddish-brown dorsal band, a broken and irregular dorsal band, to no dorsal band at all. There is also variation on the head with brown blotches or grey specks appearing in subjects (Parra-Olea et al. 2020).

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Mexico

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

This species is known from Cruz Blanca and Las Vigas in Veracruz, Mexico at elevations between 2,200 - 2,450 m. Their habitat is defined as mossy pine forests. Recently collected specimens have been found under logs in disturbed pine forest (Parra-Olea et al. 2020).

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Chiropterotriton totonacus is terrestrial and can be found under logs in disturbed pine forest (Parra-Olea et al. 2020).

Trends and Threats
As of 2020, the habitat of the C. totonacus is being threatened by deforestation and fragmentation through logging activities. The pine forest by Las Vigas de Ramirez has been reduced to small fragments. Another pine forest near Cruz Blanca is experiencing deforestation and it is the only location where C. totonacus can be found. There is another pine forest nearby called Bosque Estatal San Juan del Monte that has managed to remain intact but C. totonacus has not been found in this forest. It is even recommended that C. totonacus be classified as “Critically Endangered” (Parra-Olea et al. 2020).

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

General habitat alteration and loss
Habitat modification from deforestation, or logging related activities
Habitat fragmentation

Comments
Based on Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses of L2 and COI mtDNA sequences C. totonacus is most likely sister to the clade composed of C. ceronorumm, C. lavae, and C. perotensis (Parra-Olea et al. 2020).

The specific epithet, “totonacus,” refers to the group of indigenous people known as the Totonac, which reside in the central region of Veracruz where C. totonacus is found (Parra-Olea et al. 2020).

References

Parra Olea, G., Garcia-Castillo, M. G., Rovito, S. M., Maisano, J. A., Hanken, J., Wake, D. B. (2020). “Descriptions of five new species of the salamander genus Chiropterotriton (Caudata: Plethodontidae) from eastern Mexico and the status of three currently recognized taxa.” PeerJ, 8:e8800 [link]

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2021 Chiropterotriton totonacus: Cruz Blanca Salamander <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/9195> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Sep 12, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 12 Sep 2024.

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