Ricardo Luría-Manzano

A new species of Isthmura (Caudata: Plethodontidae) from the montane cloud forest of central Veracruz, Mexico

We describe a new plethodontid salamander species of the genus Isthmura, known only from one locality in the mountainous region of central Veracruz, Mexico. Like its congeners, Isthmura corrugata sp. nov. has a large and robust body, but it is easily distinguished from the other species in the genus by the absence of any spot or mark on the dorsum (except by dull reddish brown coloration on eyelids) and by extremely well-marked costal grooves separated by very pronounced costal folds. Based on an mtDNA phylogeny, the new species is most closely related to the geographically distant I. boneti and I. maxima but occurs very near I. naucampatepetl and I. gigantea on the eastern slope of Cofre de Perote, Veracruz. The region where I. corrugata occurs contains a high number of plethodontid salamander species and is threatened by human activity.

Species Diversity, Distribution, and Conservation Status in a Mesoamerican Region: Amphibians of the Uxpanapa-Chimalapas Region, Mexico

The Uxpanapa-Chimalapas region, with one of the most extensive and best preserved tropical forest areas in Mexico, is undergoing major anthropogenic changes, and only some portions of the territory are under the protection of local communities. Although the biodiversity of the region is known to be high, no study has yet analyzed the diversity of amphibian species in the region or contributed to valuing the region in a context of amphibian conservation. Based on a review of databases and the existing scientific literature, as well as our own fieldwork, in this study, we analyze the amphibian species richness, species composition, their spatial distribution, and their conservation status in the Uxpanapa-Chimalapas region. Additionally, we compare this information with the available data for seven other tropical regions in central-northern Mesoamerica. The amphibian fauna recorded at the study region comprises 51 species, which makes it the richest tropical region in amphibian species in central-northern Mesoamerica and Mexico. Among the regions compared, this one stands out as the one with the most distinctive composition of amphibian species, sharing on average only 35% of its species with the other regions. However, it is also the region with the highest number of threatened species since one third of its species are in higher extinction risk categories. These characteristics turn the Uxpanapa-Chimalapas into a high-priority region for both Mexico and Mesoamerica, and a regional conservation plan is necessary for the immediate protection of areas where the forest is being replaced and to promote or to support community protected areas.

Rediscovery of the Rare Snake Rhadinaea cuneata Myers, 1974 (Serpentes: Colubridae: Dipsadinae)

Abstract The colubrid snake Rhadinaea cuneata (Veracruz Graceful Brown Snake) was known previously from three individuals. In 2011 we collected two additional specimens in Yohualapa Cave, southeast Puebla, México. We provide the first description of color pattern of this species in life as well as additional natural history information. Resumen La serpiente colúbrida Rhadinaea cuneata (Veracruz Graceful Brown Snake) era conocida previamente sólo de tres individuos. En el 2011, se recolectaron dos nuevos ejemplares en la cueva Yohualapa, localizada en el sureste de Puebla, México. Se provee la primera descripción del patrón de coloración de esta especie en vivo, así como información adicional acerca de su historia natural.