2 Nieuwe salamandersoorten ontdekt in Panama

[Coen Deurloo]

Scientists have discovered two new species of salamanders from the mountainous Costa Rica-Panama border region. The findings, published by David B. Wake, Jay M. Savage, and James Hanken in the journal Copeia, push the number of salamanders known in the region to 24, making it a hotspot in terms of salamander biodiversity.

Both species are small, slender salamanders that belong to the Bolitoglossa genus and apparently live in tropical montane forest habitat. The salamanders have prehensile tails and appear to be good climbers.

The first species, Gomez's Web-footed Salamander (Bolitoglossa gomezi), was named in honor of Dr. Luis Diego Gomez, a Costa Rican botanist who was formerly Director of the La Selva Biological Station of the Organization of Tropical Studies. The second species, Brame's Web-footed Salamander (Bolitoglossa bramei) was named in honor of the late Arden H. Brame, Jr., II, in "recognition of his many contributions to the study of Neotropical salamanders."

Bron: David B. Wake, Jay M. Savage, and James Hanken (2007). Montane Salamanders from the Costa Rica-Panamá Border Region, with Descriptions of Two New Species of Bolitoglossa. Copeia, 2007(3), pp. 556-565

Weblink: Mongabay.com

Foto door Dr. Alan Jaslow van de Rhodes College