SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 
UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
ON A COLLECTION OF BATRACHIANS AND REP- 
TILES FROM MOUNT ORIZABA, MEXICO, WITH 
DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW SPECIES. 
iBY 
w. s. Thatch ley. 
From the Proceedings of the United States National Museum, Vol. XVI, pages 37-42. 
[No. 922.] 
WASHINGTON: 
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 
1893. ON A COLLECTION OF BATRACHIANS AND REPTILES FROM 
MOUNT ORIZABA, MEXICO, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW 
SPECIES. 
BY 
W. S. Blatchley. 
While a member of the Scoville expedition to Mount Orizaba, Mex., 
in the summer of 1891, the writer made a small collection of batrachians 
and reptiles, which furnishes the basis of the present paper. 
The collection was made about the city of Orizaba at a height of 
4,000 feet above sea level, and on the southwestern slope of the moun- 
tain between the heights of 8,000 and 14,000 feet. 
No special effort was made to secure specimens of either class, only 
such being taken as came readily to hand while collecting insects. 
The collection is not to be viewed, therefore, as a representative one 
for the localities mentioned. 
My thanks are due to Dr. O. P. Hay, of Irvington, Ind., for the loan 
of books and other aids, and to Mr. Leonhard Stejneger, of the U. S. 
National Museum, for the loan of specimens for comparison. The types 
of the new species have been deposited in the U. S. National Museum. 
BATE AC HI A. 
Urodela. 
PLETHODONTIDAE. 
SPELERPES Rafinesque, 1832. 
Spelerpes bellii Gray. 
“Cat. Brit. Mus., 1846, 46,” Boulenger, Cat. Batrach. Grad. Brit. Mus., 1882, 68. 
Cope, Batrach. N. A., 1889, 161. 
This was tlie most common salamander on the slope of the mountain, 
numerous specimens having been taken from 8,000 to 14,000 feet, at which 
latter height it was frequent beneath stones and the bark of logs. At 
12,000 feet three specimens were taken which wrere uniform plumbeous 
above, the series of yellow spots usually present being wholly obsolete. 
These were the largest specimens secured and measured respectively 
140, 153, and 167mm in total length. Among the others the young had 
the series of spots most distinct, but in all the spots in life were yellow, 
not red, as stated by both Boulenger and Cope. 
U. S. National Musium, Nos. 19263-19265. 
Proceedings National Museum, Vol. XVI—No. 922. 38 
MEXICAN BATRACIIIANS AND REPTILES BLATCIILEY. 
Spelerpes orizabensis, sp. nov. 
Palatine teetli, separated from parasphenoids by a wide interspace; 
extending externally beyond the nares. Parasplienoid patches sepa- 
rated, scarcely diverging posteriorly. Head long and narrow, but little 
wider than body; greatest width, which is at angle of jaws, contained 
one and three-fourth times in distance from snout to gular fold. Snout 
short and blunt; nostrils and eyes small. Body cylindrical, elongate, 
measuring from three to three and a half times the distance from snout 
to gular fold.* Limbs weak, the digits slender and margined, but not 
webbed at base. Tail cylindrical, tapering gradually to a point, sliglitly 
restricted at base, a little shorter than head and body. Gular fold dis- 
tinct; twelve costal grooves. 
General color, after immersion in alcohol, plumbeous; the body with 
a broad reddish-brown dorsal stripe which is blotched here and there 
with small dark spots and margined below by a band of gray which ex- 
tends from angle of jaw to base of tail and is broken into patches by the 
black costal grooves. 
In life, the dorsal stripe was a bright red and unbroken, very similar 
to but brighter than that of Plethodon cinereus erythronotus Green. In 
alcoholic specimens the darker blotches appear. 
Measurements: Total length, 96mm; snout to cloaca, 50mm; snout to 
gular fold, 12mm; width of head, 7mm; length of fore limb, llmm; of hind 
limb, 12.5mm; of tail, 46mni; distance from axil to groin, 32mm. 
8. orizabensis differs from 8. leprosus Cope in possessing a notably 
longer and narrower head; a blunter snout; a much less divergence of 
the parasplienoid patches; a more elongate body, the distance from 
axil to groin being exactly one-third the total length, whereas in lepro- 
sus it is very slightly more than one-fourth; a shorter tail; more slender 
and less depressed digits, and in color. 
Three specimens were taken from between the bark and wood of a 
large spruce log, at the height of 11,000 feet on the slope of Mt. Orizaba. 
U. S. National Museum, Nos. 19260-19207. 
Through the kindness of Mr. Leonhard Stejneger, a bottle containing 
five specimens of Spelerpes, belonging to the U. S. National Museum, 
and taken at Orizaba by Prof. Sumichrast, was forwarded to me for 
comparison. In a letter accompanying the specimens Mr. Stejneger ex- 
pressed the opinion that one of them was an undescribed species. This, 
after a careful examination, I find to be the case, and, with the consent 
of Mr. Stejneger, the following description is herewith inserted: 
Spelerpes gibbicaudus, sp. nov. 
Palatine teeth in two nearly straight series, extending externally 
beyond the nares; separated from the parasphenoids by a well- 
marked interspace. Parasplienoid patches long, separate, diverging 
* The extreme length of head renders this proportion comparatively small. VOL. XVI, "1 
1893. J 
39 
but slightly posteriorly. Head narrow, but little wider than body, not 
depressed; greatest width contained one and a half times in distance 
from snout to gular fold. Body cylindrical, elongate, measuring over 
three and one-half times the distance from snout to gular fold. Fingers 
and toes short, not webbed at base. Tail cylindrical, shorter than head 
and body, and of almost the same diameter of body for three-fourths of its 
length, then tapering rapidly to a blunt point. Skin not wrinkled, but 
very closely pitted, the pits, beneath the lens, resembling circular scales. 
Gular fold distinct. Twelve costal grooves. Color uniform brown; the 
center of the dermal pits on dorsal surface of body and ventral surface 
of tail yellow, giving those regions the appearance of having been 
sprinkled with yellow dust. This appearance may be due to the action 
of alcohol. 
Measurements: Total length, 85,nm; snout to cloaca, 46mm; snout to 
gular fold, 10mm; width of head, 6§mm; length of fore limb, 10mm; of 
hind limb, llmm; of tail, 39mm; distance from axil to groin, 31inm. 
From S. l&prosus Cope, this species may be known by the straigliter 
palatine teeth; the less divergence of the parasphenoids; the narrower 
head; the proportionally more elongate body; the unwebbed toes, and 
the shorter and much stouter tail. 
One specimen, IT. S. National Museum, No. 19255, collected at Orizaba, 
Mexico, by Prof. Sumichrast. 
Anuka. 
BUFONIDJE. 
BUFO Laurenti, 1768. 
Bufo intermedius Gunther. 
Boulenger, Cat. Batr. Sal. Brit. Mus., 1882, 307. 
A single specimen of Bufo, taken from the gutter in a street of the 
city of Orizaba, varies from the description given by Boulenger, loc. cit., 
as follows: The hind limb is longer, as, being carried forward along the 
body, the tarso metatarsal articulation reaches the anterior border of 
orbit, instead of “to the eye.” The color of intermedius is given as 
“olive above, with irregular, sometimes confluent, dark spots; belly 
immaculate or with slight spots.” The specimen in hand is dark olive 
above, with a narrow ash gray (white in life), dorsal line extending from 
snout to anus. On top of the head this line widens, forming an ashen 
cross-band which extends across the anterior half of eyelids and the 
intervening frontal space. Sides and belly white with numerous small 
dark spots. Limbs with many large olive spots; front ones immaculate 
beneath. Length, 42mm. 
IJ. S. Xatioual Museum, No. 19268. 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 40 
MEXICAN BATRACHIANS AND REPTILES—BLATCHLEY. 
HYLI1LE. 
HYLA Laurenti, 1768. 
Hyla eximia Baird. 
U. S. and Mex. Bound. Snrv., n. 29; PI. xxxvm, Figs. 8-10. Boulenger, Cat. Batr. 
Sal. Brit. Mus., 1882, 378. 
Several specimens of this handsome tree frog were secured from the 
leaves of bushes in the gardens about Orizaba. When on the leaves 
the general color was a bright pea green, instead of olive as given in 
the descriptions, loc. cit. 
Hyla miotympanum Cope. 
Proc. Acad. Phil., 1863, 47.” Boulenger, Cat. Batr. Sal. Brit. Mus., 1882, 400. 
This species was quite common about the city of Orizaba, on tall grass 
and the leaves of shrubs. One specimen was also taken at a height of 
8,000 feet, near San Andres. 
REPTILIA. 
Lacertilia. 
IGUANIDiE, 
SCELOPORUS Wiegmanu, 1828. 
Sceloporus variabilis Wiegmann. 
Herp. Mex., 1834, 51. Boulenger, Cat. Liz. Brit. Mus., ii, 236. 
Frequent at Orizaba and as high as 14,000 feet on the mountain. 
About the city it was most often seen on the stone walls surrounding the 
gardens, especially in the suburbs. A single specimen, a S measuring 
140mm jjj length, was secured there, and three others on the mountain 
slope, all of which were smaller. 
Sceloporus seneus Wiegmann. 
Herp. Mex., 1834,52. Boulenger, Cat. Liz. Brit. Mus., ii, 233. 
Three specimens of this lizard, two $ $ and a 9 ,were taken from the 
slope of the mountains at a height of 12,000 feet, and another, a S , at 
a height of 14,000 feet. Others were seen, but could not be captured, on 
account of their swiftness. 
Measurements—adult $ : 
Millimeters. 
Total length 91 
Length of head 11 
Length of body 35 
Length of tail 45 
In the held it is difficult to separate ameus from variabilis, as from 
above they are quite similar in appearance. When captured, however, VOL. XVI, 1 
1893. J 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
41 
the larger size of the lateral scales, the greater prominence of the femo- 
ral pores, and the brilliant bine mottlings on the ventral surface of 
the $ of ceneus easily distinguish them. Moreover, cmens, when full 
grown, is a smaller species than variabilis. 
Sceloporus microlepidotus Wiegmann. 
Herp. Mex., 1834, 51. Bonlenger, Cat. Liz. Brit. Mas., n, 232. 
The small-scaled lizard was the most abundant species on tne slope 
of the mountain from 9,000 to 14,000 feet. They were continually seen 
along the pathway, and when pursued took refuge beneath fallen rocks 
or in the clumps of dense bunch grass. One was surprised at a height 
of 14,000 feet, with a half-eaten beetle, a species of Lachnosterna, in 
his mouth, and was chased quite a distance before he dropped his 
prey. 
The species is at once known by the small size of the dorsal scales, 
there being on an average about seventy-five between the occipital 
plate and the base of tail. Four males, five females. 
PHRYNOSOMA Wiegmann, 1828. 
Phrynosoma orbiculare Wiegmann. 
Herp. Mex., 1834, 53. Girard, Stansb. Hep. Grt. Salt Lake, 1852, 359. Bonlenger, 
Cat. Liz. Brit. Mus., n, 241. 
This, the only species of “horned toad” taken, was common in the 
fields about San Andres, between 7,500 and 9,000 feet, but was seen at 
no other locality. Those secured evidently belong to the variety 
Cortezii Bocourt, as the occipital spines are shorter than the longest 
temporal ones and the head is broader than long. 
Measurements—adult 9 : 
Milimeters. 
Total length 131 
Length of head 19 
Width of head 24 
Length of body 69 
Length of tail 43 
Length of fore limb 34 
Length of hind limb 42 
ANGUID.E. 
GERRHONOTUS Wiegmann, 1828. 
Gerrhonotus imbricatus Wiegmann. 
Herp. Mex., 1834, PI. x, Figs. 2, 5. Bonlenger, Cat. Liz. Brit. Mus., ii, 272. 
A single specimen of this genus was captured on the slope of the 
mountain at a height of 11,000 feet. It was creeping slowly through 
the bunch grass, which, at that height, covered the soil, and when dis- 
covered made but little effort to escape, but darted forth its tongue 
rapidly after the manner of a snake. 42 
MEXICAN BATRACHIANS AND REPTILES—BLATCHLEY. 
The ventral scales are in twelve longitudinal series; but in the outer 
row on both sides several scales have been divided, giving thirteen to 
fourteen scales in some of the transverse series. The fore limb, when 
oppressed, reaches the posterior instead of anterior corner of eye; 
otherwise it agrees fully with the description cited. 
Measurements: Total length (tail defective), 216mm; length of head, 
29mm; of body, 94,nm; of tail (reproduced), 93‘u"'; of fore limb, 27im"; 
of hind limb, 35mm. 
IJ. S. National Museum, No. 19262. 
High School Biological Laboratory, 
Terre. Haute, Indiana, September 14, 1892.