Amphibians · Caudata · Plethodontidae

Mexican Mushroomtongue Salamander

Bolitoglossa mexicana

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Mexican mushroomtongue salamander is a plethodontid of the Mesoamerican rainforests that frequently lives inside bromeliads, in the water collected between their leaves. It has no lungs and breathes through its skin. Its toes are joined by webbing that works as suckers, letting it climb smooth, damp surfaces.

Size

8 cm – 15 cm

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestMountainInsectivore Nocturnal Solitary Amphibian Rainforest Mountain

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Fun facts

Its webbed feet work as suckers: the membrane between the toes clings to smooth, damp surfaces by surface tension, letting it climb vertical leaves and the insides of bromeliads.
It has no lungs: it breathes solely through its skin and the lining of its mouth, like all plethodontids, the largest salamander family in the world.
It shoots out its tongue at great speed to catch prey, a ballistic mechanism that in some salamanders of this group is among the fastest movements in the animal kingdom.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)
Habitat & environment: Bromeliads, leaf litter and trunks of rainforest in Mexico and Central America
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: Direct development in the egg, with no tadpole stage
Litter / clutch size: 15 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolitoglossa_mexicana