A new species of toad (Anura: Bufonidae) from the lowlands of eastern Guatemala

MC2 LIBRARY OCCASIONAL PAPERS of the MH 2 « m MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY The University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas NUMBER 166. PAGES 1-21 13 APRIL 1994 A New Species of Toad (Anura: Bufonidae) From the Lowlands of Eastern Guatemala Joseph R. Mendelson III Museum of Natural History and Department of Systematics and Ecology, The University of Kansas. Lawrence, Kansas 66045-2454, USA ABSTRACT A new species of toad is described from the lowlands of eastern Guatemala. This species occurs sympatrically with Bufo valliceps hut is restricted to low elevation, montane, rain forest where it apparently breeds in small streams; it does not occur in the disturbed areas, where B. valliceps is most abundant. The range of this species includes the low montane regions of eastern Guatemala, and the Maya Mountains of Belize. This species is placed in the poorly defined Bufo valliceps group. Key words: Anura; Bufonidae; Bufo campbelli; Bufo valliceps; Guatemala; Belize. RESUMEN Se describe una especie nueva de las tierras bajas del oriente de Guatemala. Esta especie ocurre simpatricamente con Bufo valliceps pero esta restringida al Bosques Tropical Perenifolio de las montanas bajas y se reproduce en riachuelos pequehos; no ocurre en las areas pertubadas por el hombre. donde B. valliceps es mas abundante. La distribucion de esta especie incluye las areas de montanas bajas de Guatemala oriental y las Montanas Maya in Belice. Se ubica a esta especie en el pobremente definido grupo B. valliceps . Palabras claves: Anura; Bufonidae; Bufo campbelli; Bufo valliceps; Guatemala; Belize. Although Guatemala is a small country and the herpetofauna has been summarized twice in the past three decades (Stuart, 1963; Campbell and Vannini. 1989), it is a topographically complex area from which undescribed amphibians and reptiles continue to be discovered (e.g., Campbell and Brodie. 1988; Campbell and Smith, 1992; Brodie and Sav-age, 1993). The herpetofauna of the rain forests of the eastern lowlands has © Museum of Natural History, The University of Kansas. Lawrence. ISSN:009]-7y5!S