A Distributional Study of the Amphibians
of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, México

BY
WILLIAM E. DUELLMAN


University of Kansas
Lawrence
1960

University of Kansas Publications
Museum of Natural History

Volume 13, No. 2, pp. 19-72, pls. 1-8, 3 figs.
August 16, 1960

A Distributional Study of the Amphibians
of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, México

BY
WILLIAM E. DUELLMAN


University of Kansas
Lawrence
1960

University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History

Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, Henry S. Fitch,
Robert W. Wilson

Volume 13, No. 2, pp. 19-72, pls. 1-8, 3 figs.
Published August 16, 1960

University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

PRINTED IN
THE STATE PRINTING PLANT
TOPEKA, KANSAS
1960

28-3859

A Distributional Study of the Amphibians
of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, México

BY

WILLIAM E. DUELLMAN

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Few regions in Middle America are so important zoogeographically as is the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, that neck of land connecting North America with Central America, separating the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico by a distance of only about 220 kilometers (airline), and forming a low break between the highlands of México and those of Central America. Before World War II the isthmus could be reached readily only by railroad or by ocean vessel to Salina Cruz or Coatzacoalcos. With the advent of roads, principally the Trans-isthmian Highway, vast areas of the interior of the isthmus became accessible to biologists. Nevertheless, long before roads were built in the isthmian region collectors and biologists visited it, especially the town of Tehuantepec, from which collections date back to the 1870's. Therefore, it is rather surprising that no attempt has been made to present a faunal list of the amphibians or reptiles of the isthmus. Ruthven (1912) summarized his collections from the vicinity of Cuatotolapam, Veracruz, and Hartweg and Oliver (1940) presented an annotated list of