Hidden in the mist: Three new species of salamanders of the genus Pseudoeurycea (Amphibia: Plethodontidae) from Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

We describe three new species of lungless salamanders (Plethodontidae) in the genus Pseudoeurycea from Cerro Rabon, located on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Mazateca, Oaxaca, Mexico. This mid-elevation mountain, largely surrounded by warmer lowlands, remains relatively understudied. We present molecular and morphological evidence distinguishing the three new species from their congeners.

According to our phylogenetic analysis, one of the new species belongs to the P. leprosa group, while the other two are members of the P. juarezi group. Notably, one of the new species represents the fourth worm salamander known from west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and another exhibits morphological features resembling those of cave- or saxicolous salamanders. In addition, we obtain genetic information from Pseudoeurycea werleri and find high divergence between populations of Los Tuxtlas region, Veracruz and Sierra Mazateca, Oaxaca.

With the species described herein, the number of recognized species in the genus Pseudoeurycea rises to 44, of which 43 are distributed in Mexico. Due to their occurrence at high elevations and in rainforest (low elevation) on Cerro Rabon, the new species are likely at risk of extinction. However, the protection of communal lands by Mazatec communities could support the conservation of these species and the rest of the biodiversity on a regional scale.