Taxonomy

Species ID	020040
Name	Galliwasp
Other Common Names
Category	02 Amphibians
Phylum
Subphylum
Class	Amphibia
Subclass
Suborder
Family	Plethodontidae
Genus	Bolitoglossa
Species	mexicana
Subspecies
References	2

Distribution

DISTRICT	References
Cayo, Belize	1
Stann Creek, Belize	1

Administrative Unit	Occurrence	Abundance	Temporal	References
Government land				1
Caracol Archaeological Reserve				1
Chiquibul Forest Reserve				1
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary				1
Chiquibul National Park				1
Bladen Nature Reserve				1
Caracol Archaeological Reserve	Photographed	Unknown, insufficient data	July	3

ELEVATION Association	References
401-600 m	3

QUAD Distribution	References
16 45' to 17 00'; 89 00' to 89 15'	3
17 00' to 17 15'; 89 00' to 89 15'	1
17 00' to 17 15'; 88 30' to 88 45'	1
16 45' to 17 00'; 89 00' to 89 15'	1
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 45' to 89 00'	1
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 15' to 88 30'	1
16 30' to 16 45'; 89 00' to 89 15'	1
16 30' to 16 45'; 88 45' to 89 00'	1

Holdridge Life Zone Distribution	References
Subtropical moist	3

Comments on Distribution

2*  A specimen at night on low vegetation in a citrus grove in Belize.
3* Miller, C.M. (1990). Natural history voucher photograph collection,
   Caracol Arch. Reserve.

Graphics

Pictures

Habitat Associations

Food Habits

Comments on General Food Habits

2* Nothing is known of the diet, but it almost certainly consists predominantly of small invertebrates.

References/Lifestage	Reference Numbers
General	2

Environmental Associations

References/Lifestage	Reference Numbers

Life History

Life History Narrative

Bolitoglossa mexicana inhabits humid lowland and premontane forests, where it is both arboreal and terrestrial. Individuals of this uncommon species have been found beneath surface debris (Stuart, 1958:16), on roads at night (D. B. Wake and Lynch, 1976:20), and in bromeliads (W. T. Neill and Allen, 1959c:20; Taylor and Smith, 1945:548). Himmelstein (1980:23) reported a specimen found beneath a limestone rock in tropical evergreen forest, and J. R. McCranie (pers. comm.) found a specimen beneath surface debris in a sawmill. Stuart (1935:35) reported three specimens collected at an aguada near La Libertad, El Pet‚n. I encountered a specimen at night on low vegetation in a citrus grove in Belize. A specimen found beneath a log in open pine woods in Chiapas had a body temperature of 20.5øC (Feder et al., 1982:2). Terrestrial activity is probably restricted to the rainy season, at least in the more arid parts of the range. During the dry season these salamanders most likely inhabit bromeliads and other water-retaining epiphytes. Nothing is known of the diet, but it almost certainly consists predominantly of small invertebrates. In turn, these salamanders are preyed on by the false coral snake, Urotheca elapoides, for Duellman (1963:242) found a B. mexicana in the stomach of one from southern El Pet‚n. Bolitoglossa mexicana is oviparous. Duellman (1963:220) reported a specimen from the El Pet‚n-Alta Verapaz border of Guatemala that contained 63 large eggs. As is the case for other species of the genus Bolitoglossa, the eggs of this species are deposited in moist terrestrial situations, and the larvae develop within the egg.

Life History References

2

Management Practices

References/Result	Reference Numbers

References

1  Meerman, J., 1994. Summary of Herpetofauna Distributions in Belize.
   Report to National Protected Areas Management Project.

2  Lee, Julian C. 1996. The Amphibians and Reptiles of the Yucatan
   Peninsula. Comstock Publishing Associates. Ithaca, New York.

3  Miller, C.M. 1990.  Natural history voucher photograph collection.