James R. McCranie

The conservation status of the herpetofauna of Honduras.

The conservation status of the members of the Honduran herpetofauna is discussed. Based on current and projected future human population growth, it is posited that the entire herpetofauna is endangered. The known herpetofauna of Honduras currently consists of 334 species, including 117 amphibians and 217 reptiles (including six marine reptiles, which are not discussed in this paper). The greatest number of species occur at low and moderate elevations in lowland and/or mesic forest formations, in the Northern and Southern Cordilleras of the Serranía, and the ecophysiographic areas of the Caribbean coastal plain and foothills. Slightly more than one-third of the herpetofauna consists of endemic species or those otherwise restricted to Nuclear Middle America. Honduras is an area severely affected by amphibian population decline, with close to one-half of the amphibian fauna threatened, endangered, or extinct. The principal threats to the survival of members of the herpetofauna are uncontrolled human population growth and its corollaries, habitat alteration and destruction, pollution, pest and predator control, overhunting, and overexploitation. No Honduran amphibians or reptiles are entirely free of human impact. A gauge is used to estimate environmental vulnerability of amphibian species, using measures of extent of geographic range, extent of ecological distribution, and degree of specialization of reproductive mode. A similar gauge is developed for reptiles, using the first two measures for amphibian vulnerability, and a third scale for the degree of human persecution. Based on these gauges, amphibians and reptiles show an actual range of Environmental Vulnerability Scores (EVS) almost as broad as the theoretical range. Based on the actual EVS, both amphibian and reptilian species are divided into three categories of low, medium, and high vulnerability. There are 24 low vulnerability amphibians and 47 reptiles, 43 medium vulnerability amphibians and 111 reptiles, and 50 high vulnerability amphibians and 53 reptiles. Theoretical EVS values are assessed against available information on current population status of endemic and Nuclear Middle American taxa. Almost half (48.8%) of the endemic species of Honduran amphibians are already extinct or have populations that are in decline. Populations of 40.0% of the Nuclear Middle American amphibian species are extirpated or in decline. A little less than a third (27.0%) of the endemic reptiles are thought to have declining populations. Almost six of every ten (54.5%) of the Nuclear Middle American reptilian species are thought to have declining populations. EVS values provide a useful indicator of potential for endangerment, illustrating that the species whose populations are currently in decline or are extinct or extirpated have relatively high EVS. All high EVS species need to be monitored closely for changes in population status. A set of recommendations are offered, assuming that biotic reserves in Honduras can be safeguarded, that it is hoped will lead to a system of robust, healthy, and economically self-sustaining protected areas for the countrys herpetofauna. These recommendations will have to be enacted swiftly, however, due to unremitting pressure from human population growth and the resulting deforestation.

Chytridiomycosis in Wild Frogs from Pico Bonito National Park, Honduras

Almost half of the endemic species of Honduran amphibians have declining populations; some of which seem to be extinct since they have not been seen in several years in places where they were once common. Disappearances in pristine and protected habitats have occurred in several highland localities throughout the country. The highland amphibian fauna of Pico Bonito National Park declined sometime between 1989 and 1995. An amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has been linked to similar declines in other neotropical regions. We checked 19 specimens for this disease, which were collected in the park in 2003. The only Rana maculata examined was found to be infected, as were three of the six Eleutherodactylus aurilegulus surveyed for the disease. Two of the infected E. aurilegulus were collected at 120 m elevation and showed strong infections. One of these was lethargic and did not react when it was collected in the field, although it was still alive. A complete necropsy could help determine if the B. dendrobatidis infection was responsible for these symptoms, and further research might show how susceptible E. aurilegulus is to this pathogen at low altitudes. More research should be focused on the distribution of this pathogen in Honduras, and on how this disease has affected the local amphibian fauna.

The herpetofauna of the cloud forests of Honduras

The cloud forest amphibians and reptiles constitute the most important herpetofaunal segment in Honduras, due to the prevalence of endemic and Nuclear Middle American-restricted species. This segment, however, is subject to severe environmental threats due to the actions of humans. Of the 334 species of amphibians and reptiles currently known from Honduras, 122 are known to be distributed in cloud forest habitats. Cloud forest habitats are found throughout the mountainous interior of Honduras. They are subject to a Highland Wet climate, which features annual precipitation of >1500 mm and a mean annual temperature of <18°C. Cloud forest vegetation falls into two Holdridge formations, the Lower Montane Wet Forest and Lower Montane Moist Forest. The Lower Montane Wet Forest formation generally occurs at elevations in excess of 1500 m, although it may occur as low as 1300+ m at some localities. The Lower Montane Moist Forest formation generally occurs at 1700+ m elevation. Of the 122 cloud forest species, 18 are salamanders, 38 are anurans, 27 are lizards, and 39 are snakes. Ninety-eight of these 122 species are distributed in the Lower Montane Wet Forest formation and 45 in the Lower Montane Moist Forest formation. Twenty species are distributed in both formations. The cloud forest species are distributed among restricted, widespread, and peripheral distributional categories. The restricted species range as a group in elevation from 1340 to 2700 m, the species that are widespread in at least one of the two cloud forest formations range as a group from sea level to 2744 m, and the peripheral species range as a group from sea level to 1980 m. The 122 cloud forest species exemplify ten broad distributional patterns ranging from species whose northern and southern range termini are in the United States (or Canada) and South America, respectively, to those species that are endemic to Honduras. The largest segment of the herpetofauna falls into the endemic category, with the next largest segment being restricted in distribution to Nuclear Middle America, but not endemic to Honduras. Cloud forest species are distributed among eight ecophysiographic areas, with the largest number being found in the Northwestern Highlands, followed by the North-Central Highlands and the Southwestern Highlands. The greatest significance of the Honduran herpetofauna lies in its 125 species that are either Honduran endemics or otherwise Nuclear Middle American-restricted species, of which 83 are distributed in the countrys cloud forests. This segment of the herpetofauna is seriously endangered as a consequence of exponentially increasing habitat destruction resulting from deforestation, even given the existence of several biotic reserves established in cloud forest. Other, less clearly evident environmental factors also appear to be implicated. As a consequence, slightly over half of these 83 species (50.6%) have populations that are in decline or that have disappeared from Honduran cloud forests. These species possess biological, conservational, and economic significance, all of which appear in danger of being lost.

New Species of Montane Salamander of the Bolitoglossa dunni Group from Northern Comayagua, Honduras (Urodela: Plethodontidae)

Abstract A new species of Bolitoglossa of the Bolitoglossa dunni group is described from an isolated mountaintop in western Honduras. Color and pattern are the most distinctive features of the new species. Less than 1 ha of forest remains on the isolated mountain peak at the type locality, making the new species the most endangered salamander species known in Honduras.

A SECOND NEW SPECIES OF SIBON (SQUAMATA: COLUBRIDAE) FROM LA MOSQUITIA, NORTHEASTERN HONDURAS

A new species of Sibon in the S. annulatus species group is described from the Mosquitia region of northeastern Honduras. The new species differs from all other members in the group in ventral and dorsal coloration. Within this group, the new species appears to be most closely related to S. dimidiatus and S. miskitus.

New Species of Sibon (Squamata: Colubridae) from Northeastern Honduras

Abstract A new species of Sibon, placed in the Sibon annulatus species group, is described from the Mosquitia region of northeastern Honduras. Within this group, the new species appears most closely related to Sibon dimidiatus. By comparison to S. dimidiatus, the new species can be distinguished by its fewer ventrals, subcaudals, total number of ventrals plus subcaudals, and smaller adult size.

An investigation into the Swan Island Honduras collecting event of Tiaporus fuliginosus Cope (Reptilia: Teiidae) and its systematic status

Abstract Confusion exists in the literature concerning the collecting event of the teiid lizard Tiaporus fuliginosus. We investigated the literature and documents stored at the Smithsonian Institution Archives involving the collector of those specimens in an effort to resolve that confusion. We conclude that the type series was collected on the Swan Islands of Honduras by Charles H. Townsend during 1887. We also provide a redescription of that nominal form and show that it is a valid species that should be called Ameiva fuliginosa. We also examined the type series of A. panchlora from Old Providence, Colombia and confirm that its 1950 placement as a junior synonym of A. fuliginosa is correct.

New Species of Oedipina (Amphibia: Caudata) from Parque Nacional El Cusuco, Northwestern Honduras

Abstract A new species of Oedipina (subgenus Oedopinola) is described from a cloud forest locality in northwestern Honduras. The new species appears most closely related to Oedopinola gephyra, a cloud forest species from north-central Honduras. It differs from O. gephyra in having a larger size, a jet-black coloration, a row of white flecks ventrolaterally on the body in life, and less interdigital webbing on the hind limbs.

A NEW SPECIES OF HYLID FROG FROM NORTHWESTERN HONDURAS

A new species of hylid frog is described from the Sierra de Omoa of northwestern Honduras. The new species differs from all other small (<26 mm SVL) Nuclear Middle American hylids in having 7–10 large black spines on the thumb in males and the bones visible through the translucent skin of the posterior part of the dorsum in life.

A Discussion of the Phenetic-based Craugastor laticeps Species Group (Anura: Brachycephaloidea: Craugastoridae) from North-central Honduras, with the Description of Two New Species

Abstract I review the taxonomic status of four species of Craugastor of the phenetic-based C. laticeps species group from the Cordillera Nombre de Dios (CND) and nearby mountains in north-central Honduras. These frogs were tentatively assigned to previously described species. Specimens of recently collected frogs, along with some of those previously examined, were compared with similar frogs from northwestern Honduras (in three cases) and with a population from eastern Honduras. These new morphological analyses demonstrate that two of those CND populations are best treated as new species. One population appears most closely related to C. laticeps from northwestern Honduras, but is distinguished from that species by having a smaller adult male size, a larger adult male tympanum, a distinct dark eye mask that extends posteriorly to at least level of midbody, and a dark seat patch mark. The second new species appears most similar to C. rostralis from northwestern Honduras, but reaches a larger size and has a gold upper half of the iris, a dark seat patch mark surrounded by white pigment, a more tuberculate outer tarsal segment, and a more tuberculate outer edge of the forearm. In addition to those morphological differences, both new species occur in habitats of montane mesic broadleaf forest that are separated from their apparent closest relatives by low-elevation valleys containing open, subhumid, and hotter forests types. Based on ∼40 yr of field surveys, it is apparent that C. laticeps group species are unable to tolerate those subhumid habitats. Study of the two remaining CND forms demonstrates that they are best treated as conspecific with two previously described species. A type-locality restriction is made for the closest relative of one new species that previously carried the type locality “Honduras.” A discussion of amphibian endemism in the CND is also included.