𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀: 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮

Image: A Chirqui Fire Salamander (𝐵𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑎 𝑐𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑒) encountered at night on a fern. Photo: Roger Morales.

Eighteen new species of reptiles and amphibians were described worldwide during May 2022, comprising three salamanders, four snakes, five lizards and six frogs. In addition, the Blue-bellied Kukri Snake (𝑂𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑜𝑑𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑢𝑠) was re-discovered in India. No additional specimens of this snake were documented since it was described 112 years ago. Remarkably, a road-killed specimen was found 267 km from the only other known locality!

The new salamanders are from three countries – Panama, China, and the United States of America. The Chirqui Fire Salamander (𝐵𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑎 𝑐𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑒) from Panama is an arboreal species with a unique pink colour and bright flame-scarlet speckles, and is currently known only from the rain forest in La Amistad National Park.

The Jiangxi Giant Salamander (𝐴𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑗𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑥𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠) from China is similarly restricted to a single nature reserve in Jiangxi Province (hence the name) and has highlighted the importance of this type of reserve for conservation efforts. The Pascagoula Dusky Salamander (𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑚𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑢𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑎) was found in six populations in swampy habitat within the Gulf Coastal Plain of Mississippi and Alabama, USA. It was previously considered to be a different species, but has now been shown to be smaller, with a different colour pattern (circular white spots on the sides). It is genetically distinct, behaviourally different (secretive, occupying a different microhabitat) and geographically isolated.

Our understanding of the world is constantly advancing. What is today considered one species may tomorrow be found to constitute several cryptic species, as was the case with the Dusky Salamander species group that the Pascagoula Dusky Salamander was considered part of. The re-discovery of the Blue-bellied Kukri Snake shows that it may be worth keeping an eye out for the unusual in even the most mundane of places, such as the sides of roads!

𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗯𝘆 Dr Cora Stobie (Department of Animal and Plant Systematics).

Photographs by Roger Morales (𝐵𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑎 𝑐𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑒 on a fern), Marcos Ponce (𝐵𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑎 𝑐𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑒 on a yellow leaf) and Dr David Breamer (𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑚𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑢𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑎). All photographs reproduced with permission. Many thanks to Abel Batista, Roger Morales, Marcos Ponce and David Breamer for the use of these photographs.

The source for the new species discussed here is the blog ‘Species New to Science’ by pskhun at http://novataxa.blogspot.com/2022/05/.