NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Shadowy Web-footed Salamander
Bolitoglossa sombra Hanken, Wake & Savage, 2005
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The shadowy web-footed salamander (Bolitoglossa sombra) is a species of salamander belonging to the family Plethodontidae. Native to Costa Rica and possibly Panama, Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. This species faces threats from habitat loss.
Wikipedia contributors, Shadowy web-footed salamander; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T12:08:41.132619+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Bolitoglossa sombra Hanken, Wake & Savage, 2005
- Name authority
- Hanken, Wake & Savage, 2005
- Common name
- Shadowy Web-footed Salamander
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Amphibia
- Order
- Caudata
- Family
- Plethodontidae
- Genus
- Bolitoglossa
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAmphibia
- orderCaudata
- familyPlethodontidae Gray, 1850
- subfamilyHemidactyliinae Hallowell, 1856
- genusBolitoglossa Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854
- speciesBolitoglossa sombra Hanken, Wake & Savage, 2005
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Bolitoglossa. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Bolitoglossa compacta Wake, Brame & Duellman, 1973 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bolitoglossa robinsoni Bolaños & Wake, 2009 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bolitoglossa splendida Boza-Oviedo, Rovito, Chaves, García-Rodríguez, Artavia, Bolaños & Wake, 2012 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bolitoglossa flavimembris (Schmidt, 1936) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bolitoglossa alberchi García-París, Parra-Olea, Brame & Wake, 2002 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bolitoglossa subpalmata (Boulenger, 1896) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bolitoglossa veracrucis Taylor, 1951 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bolitoglossa mulleri (Brocchi, 1883) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bolitoglossa awajun Cusi, Gagliardi-Urrutia, Brcko, Wake & von May, 2020 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bolitoglossa bolanosi Arias, Chaves & Parra-Olea, 2024 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bolitoglossa altamazonica (Cope, 1874) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bolitoglossa alvaradoi Taylor, 1954 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Hanken, James, David B. Wake, and Jay M. Savage. (2005). A Solution to the Large Black Salamander Problem (Genus Bolitoglossa) in Costa Rica and Panamá. Copeia, Vol. 2005, No. 2. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:MDS8. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.