Bolitoglossa kamuk, Boza-Oviedo, Eduardo, Rovito, Sean M., Chaves, Gerardo, García-Rodríguez, Adrián, Artavia, Luis G., Bolaños, Federico & Wake, David B., 2012

Boza-Oviedo, Eduardo, Rovito, Sean M., Chaves, Gerardo, García-Rodríguez, Adrián, Artavia, Luis G., Bolaños, Federico & Wake, David B., 2012, Salamanders from the eastern Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica, with descriptions of five new species (Plethodontidae: Bolitoglossa, Nototriton, and Oedipina) and natural history notes from recent expeditions, Zootaxa 3309, pp. 36-61 : 46-48

Bolitoglossa kamuk sp. nov.

Kamuk Web-footed Salamander Figure 4

Holotype. UCR 20852, a young adult male from the sub-páramo region atop Cerro Apri in the Kamuk Massif (coordinates 9.2546º N, 83.059º W) at an elevation of 3126 m, on the continental divide, Provincia de Limón, Costa Rica, collected 18 December, 2007, by Guillermo Artavia, Gerardo Chaves, Sean Rovito, Guido Saborío and Hugo Solano.

Paratypes. UCR 20853, 20854; same data as holotype.

Diagnosis. Assigned to Bolitoglossa because it lacks a sublingual fold ( Wake & Elias 1983), and to subgenus Eladinea based on mtDNA sequence data. A slender member of the subpalmata group of Bolitoglossa (Eladinea) distinguished from all other members of the group by mitochondrial DNA sequences; further distinguished from B. pesrubra by absence of reddish proximal limb segments and absence of dorsal spots and blotches; from B. gracilis by more robust habitus and absence of yellowish coloration; from B. tica by smaller hands and feet.

Description. Known only from juveniles and small adults. Appears to be relatively small, slender compared to other members of genus. SL in two small adult males is 34.8 mm and 33.0 mm. Tails slender, about same length as SL; SL/TL in two males is 0.99 and 0.98. Head narrow; SL/HW is 6.0 and 6.2. Head well demarcated from neck.

Snout broadly rounded to truncated, not prominent. Nostrils small and nasolabial protuberances poorly developed but lightly pigmented. Eyes moderately prominent, protrude slightly beyond lateral margins of head and are relatively frontal in orientation. Holotype has 2 PMT, but large paratype (UCR 20853) has a damaged snout and teeth cannot be counted. MT 34 in holotype, and 15 on one side of large paratype. VT number 16 (holotype) and 13. Limbs slender, moderate in length; LI 1.5 (holotype) and 2. Hands and feet narrow (3.7 and 3.6 mm in holotype) with little webbing; fewer than two distal-most phalanges of longest digits are free of webbing. Digital tips truncate to slightly pointed and bear small but distinct subterminal pads. Fingers, in order of decreasing length, are 3-4-2-1; toes are 3-4-2-5-1. Postiliac glands not evident. Gonads of the holotype compact and rounded with some spotting of black pigmentation, and they appear to be sexually mature.

Measurements (in mm), limb interval and tooth counts of the male holotype ( Table 2 ). HW 5.8, SG 8.5, HD 3.1, EW 1.0, EL 2.5, ES 1.7, ED 1.6, IC 2.6, IO 2.6, length of groove extending posteriorly from eye 2.3, distance between nuchal groove and gular fold 2.6, SF 10.8, IN 1.1, SP 0.4, SL 34.8, SAV 32.0, AX 19.2, LI 1.5, TL 35.2, tail width at base 2.4, tail depth at base 3.0, FLL 9.0, HLL 9.3, HAW 2.5, FW 3.7, T5 0.7, T3 1.1, mental gland width 1.3, mental gland length 1.2. Numbers of teeth: PMT 2, MT 17/17, VT 8/8, arranged in a single row.

Coloration of the holotype in life ( Fig. 4 ). Dorsum and dorsal surface of tail and hind limbs black with numerous, uniformly distributed gold flecks. This coloration extends to lateral midline, where gold flecks become much less numerous. Background of fore limbs somewhat lighter. Gold flecks less numerous on top of head. Venter is dark grey, with a few gold specks, particularly towards sides of body. Gular region, underside of limbs, and anterior portion of tail pale grey with a few golden specks, while posterior half of the tail darker grey.

Coloration of the holotype in alcohol. Region of head between snout and eyes brown but darkened due to presence of skin glands that are heavily pigmented peripherally; frontal and parietal areas brown with skin glands with lighter edges; orbits completely black, canthus rostralis strongly marked numerous black spots on dark brown background; ventral area cream with numerous black spots that are even more concentrated in anterior region, making gular region lighter. Dorsum of trunk dark brown that darkens posteriorly; flanks marked with numerous black spots on background passing from brown to clear cream from dorsum to venter; venter cream with numerous dots but still noticeably lighter than dorsum. Tail dark; dorsal part of first three post-sacral segments vertebrae and underside of first 11 caudal segments maintains color of trunk, while progressively darkening posteriorly, and becoming completely black. Both hind limbs and forelimbs appear black due to presence of numerous black spots on dark brown background; dorsal part of hands and ventral part of hands and feet lighter than rest of limb.

Variation. The juvenile paratype (UCR 20854) is orange in dorsal coloration with both dark grey and lighter colored specks. A darker grey patch is present on the top of the head posterior to the eyes and on the orbits. The dorsal surface of the limbs and tail are bright orange, changing to a darker orange-grey at the tip of the tail. The gular region is a pale yellow-orange color, while the venter is a pale golden color with numerous black specks. The underside of the tail is a uniform orange.

Habitat and range. This species is known only from the type locality on Cerro Apri, southwest of Cerro Kamuk just off the continental divide. Habitat consists of sub-páramo vegetation with extensive, deep moss mats, spongy soil, ferns, and small, isolated trees with arboreal bromeliads. The species was found both within these bromeliads and under moss.

Etymology. The species is from the Kamuk Massif, named for one of the dominant peaks in the region, Cerro Kamuk . The scientific name is a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURE 4. A) Dorsal and B) ventral photos of holotype (UCR 20852) of Bolitoglossa kamuk in life. C) Juvenile paratype (UCR 20854) of B. kamuk in life, showing variation in coloration. D) Dorsal view left hand and E) right foot of preserved holotype. Photos A, B and C by S. Rovito, D and E by Adrián García-Rodríguez. The bar in hand and feet are 1 mm length.