“My tongue shoots out to grab my prey, so fast there’s no chance to get away”
(from a great photograph by the amazing Robin Moore. Used with permission – thanks Robin!) Bolitoglossa dolfeini is a salamander that isn’t really that giant at all. (On average, about 4 inches from nose to tail.) Plus, it’s not too colorful or marked, it just has mottled rusty tones that help it blend in with dirt. So what’s the “wow” factor for this amphibian? Hey, it’s all about the tongue!!!
Here’s this salamander’s tongue in action. Yeah, it’s pretty fast..which is why I didn’t try to paint it. (It’s too fast to really see clearly anyway!) I feel kinda sorry for the poor bug that accidentally wanders by…
This guy lives on the ground and likes abandoned cardamom plantations. It’s found in a few countries in Central America, but by the time you’re reading this, B. dolfeini has probably moved from “near threatened” to “vulnerable” endangered species status, due to a host of issues that commonly threaten amphibians: shrinking habitat, fungal infection, and collection for the pet trade.
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