New Species of Salamander Discovered!

After much investigation, it turns out that the latest salamander discovered in the Central American country of Panama is a whole new species, thus expanding the catalog of amphibians.

The Chiriquí fire salamander – or Bolitoglossa cathyledecae – was found in La Amistad International Park where a team of scientists were investigating the Cordillera de Talamanca, a mountain range seldom explored.

The discovery of this new species is attributed to Abel Batista at Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí and his colleagues. So, what differentiates the fire salamander from its closest relatives? Its bright colors, the webbing of its hands and feet, and a higher number of upper teeth. A complete genetic analysis confirmed that, in fact, this colorful amphibian is distinct from the other known species of salamanders.