Crotalus durissus culminatus Klauber, Bull. Zool. Soc. San Diego, 26:65, August 8, 1952.—El Sabino, Michoacán, México.
El Sabino (18).
These specimens are part of the type series and were collected by Hobart M. Smith near the upper limits of the arid scrub forest at an elevation of about 1050 meters on the lower slopes of the Cordillera Volcánica at the northern edge of the Tepalcatepec Valley. They were discussed in detail by Klauber (1952:66-70).
Crotalus intermedius intermedius Troschel
Crotalus intermedius Troschel, in von Müller, Reisen in Vereiningten Staaten, Canada und Mexico, vol. 3, p. 613, 1865.—Type locality unknown.
Crotalus intermedius intermedius, Klauber, Bull. Zool. Soc. San Diego, 26:9, August 8, 1952.
Cerro Tancítaro.
The one specimen is from the pine forests on the Cordillera Volcánica. At the present time this species is known from scattered localities in west-central Veracruz, Oaxaca, Michoacán, and as Crotalus intermedius omiltemanus in Central Guerrero. Apparently it is restricted to montane environments.
Crotalus molossus nigrescens Gloyd
Crotalus molossus nigrescens Gloyd, Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan, 325:2, January 28, 1936.—Four miles west of La Colorada, Zacatecas, México.
Carapan; Los Conejos; Pátzcuaro; Tacícuaro (5).
In Michoacán this species has been found in pine forests between 1550 and 2300 meters in the Cordillera Volcánica. I expected to find it in the Sierra de Coalcomán, but inquiries among the natives living in the pine forests of that mountain range revealed that the people there have no knowledge of a large species of rattlesnake.
Crotalus polystictus (Cope)
Caudisonia polysticta Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 17:191, December 26, 1865.—Tableland of México. Type locality restricted to Tupátaro, Guanajuata, México, by Smith and Taylor (1950a:330).
Crotalus polystictus Cope, in Yarrow, Wheeler's Rept. Geog. Geol. Expl. Surv. W. 100th. Mer., vol. 5, p. 533, 1875.
Tacícuaro (4); Tupátaro (2).
Formerly this species was abundant in the marshes around Lago de Chapala. The draining of these marshes probably resulted in reducing the numbers of these rattlesnakes. The species is known only from the Mexican Plateau at elevations of 1450 to 2400 meters.
Crotalus pusillus Klauber
Crotalus pusillus Klauber, Bull. Zool. Soc. San Diego, 26:34, August 8, 1952.—Tancítaro, Michoacán, México.
Acuaro de las Lleguas (2); Carapan; Cerro Tancítaro (16); Dos Aguas (12).
Aside from the type series of Crotalus pusillus from Cerro Tancítaro and one specimen from Carapan referred to the species by Klauber (1952:38), there are fourteen specimens from the Sierra de Coalcomán. These specimens (UMMZ 112566-7, 118591-9, 118601, 121512-3) are like Crotalus pusillus from Cerro Tancítaro in having the prefrontals paired, a black proximal rattle, and the underside of the tail black. The prefrontals are bordered posteriorly by one scale in two specimens, by two scales in three specimens, and by three scales in the other nine. The snakes from the Sierra de Coalcomán have 40 to 46 (42) dorsal body blotches. Ten males have 150-158 (154.4) ventrals and 29-33 (31.0) caudals; two females have 157 and 160 ventrals, and 25 and 27 caudals. The largest specimen is a male having a body length of 545 mm. and a tail length of 63 mm. The only noticeable difference between the specimens from the Sierra de Coalcomán and the topotypic series is that the latter have fewer dorsal blotches; the range of variation is 33 to 46 (39.8).
Most specimens of this species have a grayish brown dorsum and dark brown dorsal blotches. Two specimens from Dos Aguas (UMMZ 118596 and 118599) are pale brown above and have indistinct blotches.
One specimen from Dos Aguas regurgitated a large Gerrhonotus imbricatus imbricatus; of two others from the same locality, one regurgitated a Sceloporus bulleri and an Eptesicus fuscus. The latter specimen was collected at the entrance of a small cave, where it probably had captured the bat.
In the Cordillera Volcánica Crotalus pusillus has been obtained in pine-oak forest at elevations between 1550 and 1800 meters. In the Sierra de Coalcomán two specimens were taken in pine forest at an elevation of 2300 meters; ten other were found beneath rocks and logs in pine-oak forest at an elevation of 2100 meters.
Crotalus triseriatus aquilus Klauber
Crotalus triseriatus aquilus Klauber, Bull. Zool. Soc. San Diego, 26:24, August 8, 1952.—Alvarez, San Luis Potosí, México.
Morelia (10); Tacícuaro (2).
I am following Klauber (1952) in assigning some of the specimens of this species from Michoacán to the subspecies aquilus and others to C. t. triseriatus. The distinguishing characters of these subspecies are given by Klauber (1952:28). On the basis of the few localities from which the species is known in Michoacán it seems as though C. t. aquilus inhabits the open grassy areas on the Mexican Plateau and the associated open pine-oak or oak-bunch grass habitats to the north and east of the Cordillera Volcánica. Crotalus triseriatus aquilus has been collected at elevations from 1600 to 2000 meters in Michoacán.
Crotalus triseriatus triseriatus (Wagler)
Uropsophus triseriatus Wagler, Natürliches System der Amphibien, p. 176, 1830.—México. (Probably Mexico City.)
Crotalus triseriatus triseriatus, Klauber, Bull. Zool. Soc. San Diego, 26:19, August 8, 1952.
Cerro Tancítaro (36); Opopeo; Pátzcuaro.
This small rattlesnake inhabits rocky areas in pine and pine-oak forests above 1600 meters in the Cordillera Volcánica; it has been collected at 3270 meters on Cerro Tancítaro. The series reported by Schmidt and Shannon (1947:84) is a mixture of specimens of Crotalus triseriatus and Crotalus pusillus. The two species are found together on Cerro Tancítaro, but only Crotalus pusillus inhabits the coniferous forests of the Sierra de Coalcomán. Klauber (1952:30) stated that despite the proximity of Crotalus triseriatus triseriatus and Crotalus triseriatus aquilus in Michoacán, there is no evidence of intergradation. He went on to suggest that additional material might show that the two named populations actually are distinct species. The specimens that have been studied since Klauber's investigations also show no evidence of intergradation, but there still is no known sympatry of the populations.
The small montane rattlesnakes belonging to the species C. pricei, C. pusillus, and C. triseriatus present a problem in systematics and distribution worthy of intensive investigation. A knowledge of the distribution and relationships of the various populations of these snakes, together with other species also living in isolated populations on the higher mountains in México, probably will be of great significance in understanding dispersal and differentiation of animals during the Pleistocene.
SPECIES OF QUESTIONABLE OCCURRENCE
Some species for which there are no authentic records from Michoacán can be expected there on zoogeographic probability. Other species have been recorded from Michoacán, but these records are doubtful for any one of several reasons. Fifteen species of such questionable occurrence are discussed below:
Syrrhophus modestus modestus Taylor
Syrrhophus modestus Taylor, Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull., 28:304, May 15, 1942.—Hacienda Paso del Río, Colima, México.
Syrrhophus modestus modestus, Duellman, Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan, 594:5, June 6, 1958.
This small terrestrial frog is not uncommon on the coastal lowlands and foothills in Nayarit and in Colima, where it has been collected within a few kilometers of the Michoacán border. At Tecolapa, Colima, on August 9, 1956, Syrrhophus modestus modestus was found with Tomodactylus nitidus orarius, Bufo marinus, Bufo marmoreus, Hyla baudini, Hyla smithi, and Phyllomedusa dacnicolor, all of which occur on the coastal lowlands of Michoacán. Because of its solitary and secretive habits, Syrrhophus modestus modestus is not common in collections. Additional field work on the coast of Michoacán should reveal the presence of the species there.
Hyla microcephala sartori Smith
Hyla microcephala sartori Smith, Herpetologica, 7:186, December 31, 1951.—1 mi. N of Organos, S of El Triente, Guerrero, México.
On August 28, 1960, J. R. Dixon obtained a series of this species from a temporary pond 6 kilometers northeast of La Resolana, Jalisco. Previously, Hyla microcephala sartori had been known only from the lowlands of Guerrero and Oaxaca. The existence of the species in Jalisco provides evidence that this frog also occurs in Michoacán and Colima.
Gastrophryne usta usta (Cope)
Engystoma ustum Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 18:131, 1866.—Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
Gastrophryne usta usta, Carvalho, Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan, 555:13, July 16, 1954.
Smith and Taylor (1948:93-4) listed specimens of this species from Organos and El Treinta, Guerrero, and from Paso del Río, Quesería, Santiago, and Tecomán, Colima. The species occurs from Sinaloa and central Veracruz southward at low elevations to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and thence along the Pacific lowlands into Central America. Almost certainly it occurs on the coastal lowlands in Michoacán. Since the amphibian fauna of the Tepalcatepec Valley has been better sampled than that of the coast, I suspect that if Gastrophryne occurred in the Tepalcatepec Valley, I would have found it there.
Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz)
Chelonia olivacea Eschscholtz, Zool. Atlas, pt. 1, p. 2, 1829.—Manila Bay, Philippine Islands.
Lepidochelys olivacea, Girard, United States Exploring Expedition..., vol. 20, Herpetology, p. 435, 1858.
According to Smith and Taylor (1950b: 15), this sea turtle is known from the entire Pacific coast of México; these authors reported the species from Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Colima, and Sonora. Although the only sea turtle that I observed in Michoacán is Chelonia mydas, others probably do use the sheltered beaches for nesting. The scanty records of sea turtles along the Pacific coast of México indicate that Chelonia mydas and Lepidochelys olivacea are the most abundant species in that region. There are scattered records of Dermochelys coriacea, Caretta caretta, and Eretmochelys imbricata along the Pacific coast. The occurrence of any of these along the coast of Michoacán is probable.
Geoemyda pulcherrima pulcherrima (Gray)
Emys pulcherrima Gray, Catalogue of the Shield Reptiles in British Museum, vol. 1, p. 25.—México. Type locality restricted to Presidio de Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México, by Smith and Taylor (1950b:30).
Geoemyda pulcherrima pulcherrima, Wettstein, Sitzb. Akad. Wiss. Wien, 143:18, 1934.
Smith and Taylor (1950b:30) recorded this species from Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Colima, and Guerrero; these records indicate that the species probably is distributed along the Pacific coast of México southward from southern Sonora. It unquestionably occurs on the coast of Michoacán. Natives of the coastal lowlands tell of another "tortuga de la tierra" besides Geoemyda rubida. In the collections of the Museum of Natural History of the University of Illinois is a specimen of Geoemyda pulcherrima from Mexcala in the Balsas Basin in northern Guerrero. On the basis of this specimen it is highly probable that the species also inhabits the Balsas-Tepalcatepec Basin in Michoacán.
Pseudemys scripta ornata (Gray)
Emys ornata Gray, Synopsis reptilium, p. 30, 1831.—Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México.
Pseudemys scripta ornata, Carr, Herpetologica, 1:135, December 30, 1938.
The systematics and distribution of Pseudemys scripta in México and Central America are poorly understood. Smith and Taylor (1950b:32) recorded this turtle from the Pacific lowlands of Sinaloa, Jalisco, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. This species is represented by vicarious populations throughout the Atlantic lowlands of México, northwestern México, over much of the United States, and also in Baja California. Along the Pacific coast of México the species seems to be extremely rare, or, at least, only locally abundant. Since the species has such a wide distribution, and since it occurs on the Pacific lowlands both to the north and to the south of Michoacán, it is reasonable to expect its presence on the coast of Michoacán. Inquiries among the natives living in the Balsas-Tepalcatepec Basin produced only negative evidence about the occurrence of Pseudemys in the Río Tepalcatepec and Río Balsas. I suspect that the best place to search for these turtles on the coast of Michoacán is in the numerous fresh-water lagoons on the coastal plain.
Caiman crocodilus fuscus (Cope)
Perosuchus fuscus Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 20:203, November 9, 1868.—Río Magdalena, Columbia.
Caiman crocodilus fuscus, Mertens, Senckenbergiana, 26:275, December 22, 1943.
Gadow (1930:50) reported that Caiman sclerops (= Caiman crocodilus fuscus) inhabited the "tierra caliente" in Michoacán. Smith and Taylor (1950b:212) accepted Gadow's record for the State, although otherwise the species is unknown north of Oaxaca. Peters (1954:10) refuted Gadow's record on the basis that Gadow's collections contained no specimens of Caiman. The local name "caiman" refers to both Crocodylus and to Caiman, for, in general, the natives do not distinguish between the two. "Caimanes" are reported from along the coast of Michoacán, where the name presumably refers to Crocodylus acutus acutus, and in the Balsas-Tepalcatepec Basin (Gadow, 1930:50; Webber, 1946:267). I have seen no specimens of either Crocodylus or Caiman from the Balsas Basin. If crocodilians do occur in the basin, they probably are Crocodylus acutus acutus. There is no basis, whatsoever, for including Michoacán in the range of Caiman crocodilus fuscus.
Bipes canaliculatus Bonnaterre
Bipes canaliculatus Bonnaterre, Encyclopédie méthodique, Erpétologie, p. 68, 1789.—México. Type locality restricted to Mexcala, Guerrero, México, by Smith and Taylor (1950b:39).
Dugès (1896:480) reported this species from Morelia, Michoacán. Smith and Taylor (1950b:39), who recorded the species from three localities in the Balsas Basin in Guerrero, rejected Dugès' record. I, too, am unwilling to accept Dugès' record. Nevertheless, the species probably occurs throughout much of the Balsas Basin. This idea is strengthened by comments made by Storm (1939:342): "The last hard drop, that afternoon, was down the great Cerro de los Cajones [southwest of Tacámbaro], and here in the upper forest we came upon... a lizard with front legs and none behind ... the animal with hands and no feet that señor Smith [Hobart M. Smith] was seeking!... They're named Bipes caniculatus (sic.)."
Coleonyx elegans nemoralis Klauber
Coleonyx elegans nemoralis Klauber, Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., 10:195, March 9, 1949.—Paso del Río, Colima, México.
Klauber (1945:199) and Smith and Taylor (1950b:43) reported this lizard from the coastal lowlands of Colima and Guerrero. Davis and Smith (1953:101) reported it from 8 kilometers northeast of Temilpa, Morelos, in the upper Balsas Basin. Specimens of this lizard have been collected infrequently; the few locality records and limited ecological data indicate that it inhabits dense scrub forest and tropical semi-deciduous forest. Coleonyx elegans nemoralis is to be expected on the coastal lowlands, the seaward foothills of the Sierra de Coalcomán, and on the lower slopes of the Cordillera Volcánica along the northern edge of the Tepalcatepec Valley.
Phrynosoma orbiculare orbiculare (Linnaeus)
Lacerta obricularis Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 12, 1:1062, 1789.—México (by inference). Type locality restricted to México, Districto Federal, by Smith and Taylor (1950b:97).
Phrynosoma orbiculare orbiculare, Smith, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 37:290, 1934.
Gadow (1905:213) inferred that Phrynosoma orbiculare occurred at elevations of more than 3000 feet in Michoacán. There are no specimens of this species known from Gadow's collections made in Michoacán. Smith and Taylor (1950b:98) apparently accepted Gadow's statement and recorded the species from Michoacán: "above 3000 feet (Jorullo?)." Reeve (1952:940) somehow misconstrued this statement to read "Jorullo, above Zumpango (Smith and Taylor, 1950b)." Reeve did not indicate on his map (1952:939) that the species occurred in Michoacán. In the most recent review of the species (Horowitz, 1955), no localities are given in Michoacán. Since Phrynosoma orbiculare is known from central Jalisco, Guanajuato, Queretaro, and México, its presence at least in northeastern Michoacán is to be expected, although at the present time there are no specimens known from the state.
Eumeces brevirostris (Günther)
Mabouia brevirostris Günther, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 316, August, 1860.—Oaxaca. Type locality restricted to Oaxaca, Oaxaca, México, by Smith and Taylor (1950b:168).
Eumeces brevirostris, Bocourt, Mission scientifique au Mexique et dans l'Amerique Céntrale. Reptiles, livr. 6, p. 439, 1879.
Smith and Taylor (1950b:168) Listed this species: "Michoacán: No specific record." I am unaware of any specimen of this skink from the state. As presently recognized, this species contains two subspecies. One of these occurs in the mountains of Oaxaca northward into central Veracruz; the other, Eumeces brevirostris bilineatus, occurs in Durango southward to Jalisco, where it inhabits the Sierra Madre Occidental. Possibly the species occurs in the Sierra de los Tarascos in Michoacán.
Eumeces callicephalus Bocourt
Eumeces callacephalus Bocourt, Mission scientifique au Mexique et dans l'Amerique Céntrale. Reptiles, livr. 6, p. 431, 1879.—Guanajuato, Guanajuato, México.
Dugés (1896) in a paper in which he listed several species of Eumeces in México, reported Eumeces callicephalus from Michoacán, but he gave no specific locality within the state. Michoacán was included in the range of the species by Taylor (1936:298) and by Smith and Taylor (1950b:164). The species definitely is known from southeastern Arizona southward to Guanajuato. It may occur in Michoacán, but, since there are three rather widespread species of Eumeces inhabiting the Mexican Plateau and associated mountain ranges in the northern and northeastern part of Michoacán, interspecific competition might be a reason for the absence of Eumeces callicephalus there.
Leptodeira septentrionalis polysticta Günther
Leptodeira polysticta Günther, Biologia Centrali-Americana, Reptilia, p. 172, May, 1895.—Belice, British Honduras.
Leptodeira septentrionalis polysticta, Duellman, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 114:72, February 24, 1958.
Although this species occurs from sea level to elevations of about 2000 meters from Nayarit southward into Central America, no specimens are known from Michoacán. Smith and Taylor (1945:87) listed the species as occurring in Michoacán, but they had no record on which to base this report. Probably, the species occurs on the coastal lowlands and seaward slopes of the Sierra de Coalcomán.
Tropidodipsas fasciata guerreroensis Taylor
Tropidodipsas guerreroensis Taylor, Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull., 26:470; November 27, 1940.—Buena Vista, Guerrero, México.
Tropidodipsas fasciata guerreroensis, Alvarez del Toro and Smith, Herpetologica, 12:16, March 6, 1956.
Dugès (1896:480) reported a snake, questionably of this species, from Uruapan, Michoacán. Taylor (1940c) suggested that on geographic grounds Dugès' record might refer to T. f. guerreroensis, which is known definitely only from the type locality. Tropidodipsas occidentala is known from Comala, Colima, and Coalcomán, Michoacán. On zoogeopraphic grounds that species might be found at Uruapan. Since the specimen apparently no longer is extant, the identification cannot be ascertained.
Micrurus fitzingeri fitzingeri (Jan)
Elaps fitzingeri Jan, Rev. Mag. Zool., p. 521, 1858.—México. Type locality restricted to Guanajuato, Guanajuato, México, by Smith and Taylor (1950a:330).
Micrurus fitzingeri fitzingeri, Brown and Smith, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 55:63, June 25, 1942.
Smith and Taylor (1945:174) recorded the species from Zamora, Michoacán. Hobart M. Smith (in litt.) stated that this record was based on a report of Elaps fulvius from Zamora by Dugès (1896:482). Smith guessed that the report was based on a specimen of Micrurus fitzingeri. The specimen has not been seen. Although the species is known from Guanajuato and México, until a specimen is available from Michoacán, the species should not be considered part of the herpetofauna of Michoacán.
GAZETTEER
The localities in Michoacán here listed are those from which specimens were examined as well as other localities mentioned in the text. The localities are arranged alphabetically according to the most definitive word or words in the total name. For example, Lago de Chapala is listed as "Chapala (Lago de)" and Cerro de Tancítaro is listed as "Tancítaro (Cerro de)." Insofar as has been possible, the following information is given for each locality: geographical co-ordinates to the nearest minute of north latitude and west longitude, elevation in meters above mean sea level, a description of its geographical location, type of dominant vegetation, and in some cases comments concerning collecting sites in the vicinity. Distances are in kilometers; all are map (air line) distances, unless otherwise indicated. Many localities visited on mule trips are given as being a certain number of "mule hours" in a general direction from another town or village. In order to reach most of these localities today, one would have to go by mule, and this is the way the muleteers determine their distances. Some of the elevations are taken from maps, but most of them were obtained from one or more readings of altimeters that we carried in the field. The terms used for describing the vegetation are those defined in the section of the natural landscape.
Transcriber's note: double click on the map to get a larger image.
My primary cartographic sources have been: the provisional edition of maps published by the American Geographic Society (Colima, Guadalajara, México, and San Luis Potosí sheets published between 1933 and 1940), scale 1:1,000,000; the preliminary sheets (Colima, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, and México) published in 1949 with a scale of 1:500,000 of the Carta Geográfica de la República Méxicana (Dirección de Geografía y Meterología, Secretaria de Agricultura y Ganadería); and the Carta de Cuenca Tepalcatepec (Scale 1:250,000) prepared in 1958 by the Comisión del Tepalcatepec, Secretaria de Recursos Hidráulicos. I have visited most of the 181 localities and have gathered data pertaining to vegetation, altitude, and location. I think, nevertheless, that the accuracy of some of the locations and elevations as given in the gazetteer is questionable. This situation can be rectified only by detailed geographic studies.
Most of the important towns, villages, rivers, and high mountains are shown on the accompanying map (Fig. 11). Places not shown on this map can be located from directions given in the gazetteer.
Acahuata.—Lat. 19° 10', long. 102° 21', elev. 1040 m. A village north of Apatzingán and on the southern slope of Cerro de Tancítaro; transition between arid tropical scrub forest and pine-oak forest; tropical semi-deciduous forest in barrancas.
Agua Cerca.—Lat. 19° 06', long. 101° 45', elev. 1550 m. A ranch south-southwest of Ario de Rosales on the road to La Huacana; pine-oak forest.
Aguililla.—Lat. 18° 45', long. 102° 47', elev. 860 m.; a town in a low valley in the Sierra de Coalcomán; arid tropical scrub forest.
Álamo (El).—Lat. 19° 42', long. 100° 55', elev. 2300 m. A ranch 5 kilometers by road east of El Temazcal; pine-oak forest.
Angahuan.—Lat. 19° 33', long. 102° 14', elev. 2440 m. A Tarascan village about 27 kilometers northwest of Uruapan; pine forest. Much of the land is still covered by a deep layer of ashes from the nearby Volcán Parícutin.
Apatzingán.—Lat. 19° 06', long. 102° 22', elev. 335 m. The largest town in the Tepalcatepec Valley; arid tropical scrub forest.
Apiza (Boca de).—Lat. 18° 42', long. 103° 44', sea level. The name of the mouth of the Río Coahuayana; sandy beach and coco palms.
Apo.—Lat. 19° 25', long. 102° 25', elev. 2160 m. A village on the western slope of Cerro de Tancítaro; pine-oak forest.
Aquila.—Lat. 18° 32', long. 103° 30', elev. 150 m. A small village on the Río Aquila in the seaward foothills of the Sierra de Coalcomán; tropical semi-deciduous forest.
Araparicuaro.—Lat. 19° 22', long. 102° 12', elev. 1525 m. A village 19 kilometers west-southwest of Uruapan on the trail to Tancítaro; pine-oak forest.
Araro.—Lat. 19° 54', long. 100° 50', elev. 1830 m. A small village at the eastern end of the Lago de Cuitzeo lakebed; mesquite-grassland.
Ario de Rosales.—Lat. 19° 12', long. 101° 42', elev. 1980 m. A town in the Cordillera Volcánica on the road from Pátzcuaro to La Huacana; mixed hardwoods and pine forest.
Arteaga (formerly Carrizal).—Lat. 18° 28', long. 102° 25', elev. 850 m. A town in the eastern part of the Sierra de Coalcomán; transition between arid tropical scrub forest and oak forest.
Atzimba.—Lat. 19° 39', long. 100° 47', elev. 2900 m. A national park in the Cordillera Volcánica, located between Ciudad Hidalgo and Morelia, 32 kilometers by road west-southwest of Ciudad Hidalgo; mixed pine and fir forest.
Axolotl (Rancho).—Lat. 19° 47', long. 100° 38', elev. 2900 m. A settlement on the western slopes of Cerro San Andrés; pine, oak, and fir forest.
Balsas (Río).—A large river having its headwaters in Tlaxcala, Puebla, and northwestern Oaxaca, flowing westward through an arid valley to the Pacific Ocean, and in its lower part forming the boundary between Michoacán and Guerrero.
Barolosa (Cerro de).—Lat. 18° 52', long. 102° 57', elev. 2900-3050 m. Presumably the highest mountain in the Sierra de Coalcomán and located about 13 hours by mule east-northeast of Coalcomán; open pine-oak-fir forest and alder thickets.
Barolosa (Rancho).—Lat. 18° 50', long. 103° 00', elev. 2320 m. A small ranch on the west-northwestern slope of Cerro de Barolosa, about 11 hours by mule east-northeast of Coalcomán; open pine-oak forest.
Barranca Seca.—Lat. 19° 32', long. 102° 15', elev. 2100 m. A small village about 7 kilometers northwest of San Juan de Parangaricutiro; pine forest.
Bejuco (Barranca de).—Lat. 18° 07', long. 102° 48', elev. 90 m. A barranca in the lower slopes of the Sierra de Coalcomán just west of the lower reaches of the Río Nexpa; tropical semi-deciduous forest.
Buenavista (Tomatlán).—Lat. 19° 17', long. 102° 36', elev. 425 m. A village on the Río Masiaco in the Tepalcatepec Valley, 33 kilometers by road west-northwest of Apatzingán; open arid tropical scrub forest.
Buena Vista.—Lat. 18° 40', long. 102° 09', elev. 600 m. A ranch on the northeastern slopes of the Sierra de Coalcomán; arid tropical scrub forest.
Cachán (Río).—Lat. 18° 14', long. 103° 14'. A river formed by the affluence of the Río Coalcomán and the Río San José and flowing into the Pacific Ocean at a point indicated by the co-ordinates given above. Sometimes the name is applied to the lower part of the river as used here; other times the name is used for the entire length of the Río Coalcomán.
Camichines.—Lat. 18° 47', long. 103° 05', elev. 1070 m. A ranch about 5 kilometers east-northeast of Coalcomán; transition between arid tropical scrub forest and oak forest.
Camécuaro (Lago de).—Lat. 19° 55', long. 102° 13', elev. 1615 m. A small lake (depth to about 10 m.) drained by the Río Duero and located one kilometer north-northwest of Tangancícuaro; mesquite-grassland and some cypress and oak around the lake.
Cancita (Río).—A tributary of the Río Tepalcatepec flowing southward from the southeastern slope of Cerro de Tancítaro.
Cantiles (Los).—Lat. 19° 43', long. 100° 55', elev. 2160 m. A ranch 33 kilometers by road east of Morelia; pine forest.
Capácuaro.—Lat. 19° 33', long. 102° 02', elev. 2070 m. A Tarascan village 18 kilometers by road north of Uruapan; pine forest.
Capirio.—Lat. 18° 52', long. 102° 08', elev. 180 m. A village on the Río Tepalcatepec, 22 kilometers by road south of Nueva Italia; open arid tropical scrub forest and some gallery forest along the river.
Carapan.—Lat. 19° 52', long. 102° 02', elev. 2070 m. A village on the northern edge of the Sierra de los Tarascos, 32 kilometers by road west of Zacapu; pine-oak forest at village and to the south; mesquite-grassland immediately to the north.
Cerrito (El).—Lat. 18° 45', long. 103° 40', elev. 15 m. A ranch about 3 kilometers northeast of Coahuayana; tropical semi-deciduous forest.
Chapala (Lago de).—A large lake on the Mexican Plateau at an elevation of 1525 m., partly in the state of Jalisco. It is drained by the Río Grande de Santiago, which flows northward and then westward into the Pacific Ocean. Immediately to the east of the lake are remnants of once extensive marshes.
Charapendo.—Lat. 19° 15', long. 102° 04', elev. 975 m. A village 24 kilometers by road south of Uruapan near the upper limit of the arid tropical scrub forest in the Tepalcatepec Valley.
Cherán.—Lat. 19° 42', long. 101° 57', elev. 2350 m. A Tarascan village 27 kilometers by road south-southeast of Carapan; pine forest.
Chichihuas.—Lat. 18° 47', long. 103° 12', elev. 1200 m. A ranch about 6 kilometers west-southwest of Coalcomán; scrub oak forest.
Chinapa.—Lat. 19° 22', long. 100° 51', elev. 930 m. A small village on the Río Chinapa, 43 kilometers south of El Temzcal on the road to Huetamo; arid tropical scrub forest.
Chupio.—Lat. 19° 10', long. 101° 27', elev. 1080 m. A village 12 kilometers by road south of Tacámbaro; transition between arid tropical scrub forest and oak forest.
Churumuco.—Lat. 18° 37', long. 101° 38', elev. 210 m. A small town in the Balsas Valley; arid tropical scrub forest.
Ciénega (La).—Lat. 18° 28', long. 103° 18', elev. 900 m. A ranch about 3 hours by mule north of Coire; tropical semi-deciduous forest.
Coahuayana.—Lat. 18° 44', long. 103° 31', elev. 15 m. A village on the coastal plain near the mouth of the Río Coahuayana; arid tropical scrub forest and tropical semi-deciduous forest.
Coalcomán.—Lat. 18° 47', long. 103° 08', elev. 945 m. The largest town in the Sierra de Coalcomán and situated in a valley about 12 by 6 kilometers; arid tropical scrub forest on valley floor; oaks and some tropical semi-deciduous forest on surrounding slopes.
Coalcomán (Río).—A river having its headwaters northeast of the town of Coalcomán and flowing southward to join with the Río San José to form the Río Cachán.
Coalcomán (Sierra de).—A highland mass outlined by the Río Coahuayana and its tributaries on the west, the Río Tepalcatepec on the north, and the Río Balsas on the east, and the Pacific Ocean on the south. The axis of the sierra extends for about 200 kilometers in a west-northwest to east-southeast direction; the mountains are nearly 80 kilometers in breadth; the highest parts of the range are about 3000 meters above sea level.
Cofradía.—Lat. 18° 56', long. 102° 17', elev. 215 m. A ranch about 17 kilometers southeast of Apatzingán; arid tropical scrub forest.
Coire.—Lat. 18° 26', long. 103° 22', elev. 300 m. A village on the seaward foothills of the Sierra de Coalcomán on the Río Coire; tropical semi-deciduous forest.
Cojumatlán.—Lat. 20° 07', long. 102° 51', elev. 1530 m. A village on the southeastern shore of Lago de Chapala; mesquite-grassland.
Colola (Río).—A small river emptying into the Pacific Ocean between Maruata and Punto San Telmo.
Conejos (Los).—Lat. 19° 22' long. 102° 07', elev. 1850 m. A village 6 kilometers west-southwest of Uruapan, and sometimes known as Nuevo San Juan; pine-oak forest.
Copándaro.—Lat. 19° 54', long. 101° 12', elev. 1800 m. A village on the south edge of the Lago de Cuitzeo lakebed; mesquite-grassland.
Copuyo (Capuyo or Copullo).—Lat. 18° 28', long. 100° 56', elev. 1200 m. A small village about 5 kilometers by road west of Paso Ancho; transition between arid tropical scrub forest and oak forest.
Cordillera Volcánica.—A mountain range along the southern edge of the Mexican Plateau, roughly along the nineteenth parallel, and made up of many volcanos; the range extends from Volcán de Colima on the west to Cofre de Perote and Orizaba in Veracruz; several of the volcanos reach elevations of more than 4000 meters.
Corralito (El).—Lat. 18° 52', long. 102° 38', elev. 270 m. A small village in the Tepalcatepec Valley, about 30 kilometers southwest of Apatzingán; arid tropical scrub forest.
Corupu (Corupo).—Lat. 19° 28', long. 102° 19', elev. 2450 m. A village 29 kilometers northwest of Uruapan; pine forest.
Cuatro Caminos.—Lat. 19° 00', long. 102° 05' elev. 335 m. A village 4 kilometers south of Nueva Italia; arid tropical scrub forest.
Cuilala (Playa).—Lat. 18° 10', long. 103° 06', sea level. A sandy beach on the Pacific Ocean just east of La Higuerita.
Cuitzeo.—Lat. 19° 58', long. 101° 09', 1800 m. A village on the north shore of the Lago de Cuitzeo lakebed; mesquite-grassland.
Cuitzeo (Lago de).—A large lakebed on the Mexican Plateau at an elevation of 1800 m. In dry years there is little water in the lake, and most of the lakebed is dry; in very wet years the entire lakebed is flooded. The Río de Morelia flows into the lake, which has no outlet; surrounding vegetation is mesquite-grassland.
Cuseño Station.—Lat. 19° 30', long. 102° 16', elev. 2200 m. A field station of the American Geological Society established in 1945 and demolished in 1953; located at the northern edge of the lava flow at Volcán Parícutin; remnants of pine forest.
Diezmo (El).—Lat. 18° 26', long. 103° 19', elev. 850 m. A ranch about 8 kilometers north of Coire; tropical semi-deciduous forest.
Dos Aguas.—Lat. 18° 45', long. 102° 55', elev. 2100 m. A lumber camp on the eastern slope of Cerro de Barolosa, located about 22 kilometers west-northwest of Aguililla; pine-oak forest and some fir forest in sheltered ravines.
Duero (Río).—A small river having its headwaters near Tangancícuaro and flowing northwestward into the Río Lerma; source of irrigation water for surrounding agricultural area.
Emiliano Zapata.—Lat. 18° 59', long. 102° 39' elev. 1600 m. A town 10 kilometers east of Jiquilpan; mesquite-grassland and irrigated fields.
Erongaricuaro.—Lat. 19° 35', long. 101° 43', elev. 2150 m. A Tarascan village on the western shore of Lago de Pátzcuaro; pine forest.
Espinal (El).—Lat. 18° 27', long. 102° 07', elev. 500 m. A ranch in the northern foothills of the Sierra de Coalcomán, 9 kilometers by road north-northeast of San Salvador; arid tropical scrub forest.
Estopilas (Salitre de).—Lat. 18° 30', long. 103° 23', elev. 130 m. A small village about 10 kilometers east of Ostula; tropical semi-deciduous forest and arid tropical scrub forest.
Garnica (Cerro).—Lat. 19° 43', long. 100° 48', elev. 3000 m. A mountain about 8 kilometers north of Pino Gordo; pine-oak-fir forest.
Garnica (Puerto de).—Lat. 19° 42', long. 100° 51', elev. 2840 m. A mountain pass 46 kilometers by road west of Ciudad Hidalgo; pine and fir forest.
Gregorio (San).—Lat. 19° 25', long. 101° 24', elev. 2200 m. A ranch about 16 kilometers southeast of Pátzcuaro; pine forest.
Guayabo.—Lat. 18° 45', long. 102° 15', elev. 760 m. A village in the Sierra de Coalcomán about 32 kilometers north-northeast of Arteaga; upper limits of arid tropical scrub forest.
Herradero (Barranca de).—Lat. 18° 17', long. 103° 08', elev. 200-250 m. A barranca south of San Pedro Naranjestila in the Sierra de Coalcomán; tropical semi-deciduous forest.
Hidalgo (Ciudad).—Lat. 19° 32', long. 100° 34', elev. 2100 m. A town in the valley of the Río Tuxpan; mesquite-grassland and pine-oak forest.
Higuerita (La).—Lat. 18° 12', long. 103° 06', sea level. A place name on the Pacific coast; sandy beach and arid tropical scrub forest.
Higuertas (Las).—Lat. 18° 39', long. 103° 17', elev. 1600 m. A ranch about 7 hours by mule southwest of Coalcomán; pine-oak forest.
Hondo (Puerto).—Lat. 19° 25', long. 100° 13', elev. 2750 m. A pass in the mountains, 14 kilometers by road east of Zitácuaro (just west of Macho de Agua); pine, oak, and fir forest.
Huancana (La).—Lat. 18° 58', long. 101° 50', elev. 550 m. A village in the Balsas Basin; arid tropical scrub forest.
Huahua (La).—Lat. 18° 12', long. 103° 00', sea level. A small village on the Pacific coast; arid tropical scrub forest and gallery forest along the Arroyo de Huahua.
Huetamo.—Lat. 18° 38', long. 100° 53', elev. 300 m. A town in the Balsas Valley; arid tropical scrub forest.
Huingo.—Lat. 19° 55', long. 100° 50', elev. 1800 m. A village on the eastern edge of the Lago de Cuitzeo lakebed; mesquite-grassland.
Jacona.—Lat. 19° 57', long. 102° 18', elev. 1600 m. A small town, 4.3 kilometers by road southwest of Zamora; mesquite-grassland.
Jaramillo.—Lat. 19° 20', long. 102° 02', elev. 1500 m. A ranch 9 kilometers by road south of Uruapan; pine-oak forest.
Jazmin.—Lat. 18° 52', long. 101° 58', elev. 275 m. A village in the Tepalcatepec Valley, 32 kilometers by road southeast of Cuatro Caminos; open arid tropical scrub forest.
Jeráhuaro.—Lat. 19° 52', long. 100° 35', elev. 2600 m. A town in the northern part of the state and located east of Lago de Cuitzeo; pine-oak forest.
Jiquilpan.—Lat. 19° 59', long. 102° 43', elev. 1570 m. A town just southeast of Lago de Chapala; mesquite-grassland.
Jorullo (Volcán).—Lat 19° 00', long. 101° 45', elev. 1300 m. (crest). A cinder and lava cone rising from the foothills of the Cordillera Volcánica; arid tropical scrub forest on lower slopes and pine-oak forest on top.
Jungapeo.—Lat. 19° 26', long. 100° 29', elev. 1430 m. A village in the valley of the Río Tuxpan, about 13 kilometers south of Tuxpan on the southern slopes of the Mexican Plateau; tropical semi-deciduous forest and pine-oak forest.
Lengua de Vaca (Puerto de).—Lat. 19° 26', long. 100° 13', elev. 2900 m. A pass in the mountains at the Michoacán-Mexico border through which passes the Mexico City-Morelia highway; pine and fir forest.
Lerma (Río).—A river originating in the state of México and flowing westward, and forming the northern boundary of the state of Michoacán, to Lago de Chapala.
Lima (San Juan de).—Lat. 18° 29', long. 102° 42', sea level. A ranch on the Pacific coast; arid tropical scrub forest and tropical semi-deciduous forest.
Lima (Punta San Juan de).—Lat. 18° 38', long. 102° 43', sea level. A rocky promontory jutting into the Pacific Ocean just southwest of San Juan de Lima; arid tropical scrub forest.
Limoncito.—Lat. 18° 45', long. 102° 43', elev. 730 m. A ranch 10 kilometers north of Aguililla; arid tropical scrub forest; tropical semi-deciduous gallery forest along the nearby Río Tepecuate.
Lombardia.—Lat. 19° 08', long. 102° 02', elev. 640 m. A town in the Tepalcatepec Valley, 38 kilometers by road south of Uruapan; arid tropical scrub forest.
Lleguas (Acuaro de las).—Lat. 18° 48', long. 102° 52', elev. 2320 m. A place name for a stream and meadow (Llano de la Llegua) surrounded by pine-oak forest, located about 10 hours by mule east of Coalcomán.
Macho de Agua.—Lat. 19° 25', long. 100° 15', elev. 2850 m. A ranch just west of Puerto de Lengua de Vaca and 16 kilometers by road east of Zitácuaro; mixed oak, pine, and fir forest.
Maquili.—Lat. 18° 36', long. 103° 32', elev. 120 m. A village on the Río Aquila about 3 kilometers south-southwest of Aguila; tropical semi-deciduous forest.
Maravatio.—Lat. 19° 53', long. 100° 27', elev. 2010 m. A town in the Río Lerma Valley; irrigated fields on flats and pine-oak forest on slopes.
Marquez (Río).—A tributary to the Río Tepalcatepec, flowing through a deep gorge (Barranca del Marquez) between Lombardia and Nueva Italia. The stream originates from springs near Uruapan, where the stream is known as the Río Cupatitzio.
Maruata.—Lat. 18° 17', long. 103° 20', sea level. Place name for a Nineteenth Century port of little importance near the mouth of the Río Coire; sandy beach, fresh-water lagoon, and arid tropical scrub forest.
Mexcala (Laguna).—Lat. 18° 29', long. 103° 41', sea level. A brackish lagoon surrounded by mangroves, located just southwest of El Ticuiz.
Mil Cumbres.—Lat. 19° 39', long. 100° 47', elev. 2800 m. A name for a look-out on the México-Morelia highway in Atzimba National Park, about 32 kilometers by road west-southwest of Ciudad Hidalgo; pine and fir forest.
Mira (La).—Lat. 18° 05', long. 102° 20', elev. 20 m. A small village about 5 kilometers north-northeast of Playa Azul; arid tropical scrub forest.
Morelia.—Lat. 19° 43', long. 101° 10', elev. 1900 m. Capital of and largest city in Michoacán; mesquite-grassland on flats and pine-oak forest on surrounding hills.
Morelia (Río de).—A small, intermittent stream originating in the mountains south of Morelia and emptying into Lago de Cuitzeo.
Motín del Oro.—Lat. 18° 14', long. 103° 48', sea level. A ranch on the Pacific coast; arid tropical scrub forest.
Motín (Río).—Lat. 18° 13', long. 103° 48' (mouth). A small river flowing from the Sierra de Coalcomán into the Pacific Ocean.
Nahuatzen (Nauhuatzin).—Lat. 19° 42', long. 101° 50', elev. 2450 m. A Tarascan village in the mountains west of Lago de Pátzcuaro; pine forest.
Nexpa (Río).—Lat. 18° 05', long. 102° 47' (mouth). A large river draining the central part of the Sierra de Coalcomán, originating near Aguililla, and flowing into the Pacific Ocean.
Nogueleras.—Lat. 18° 34', long. 103° 17', elev. 1600 m. A ranch about 10 hours by mule south-southwest of Coalcomán; oak forest.
Nueva Italia.—Lat. 19° 02', long. 102° 07', elev. 380 m. A town in the Tepalcatepec Valley, 59 kilometers by road south of Uruapan; arid tropical scrub forest.
Nuevo (Rancho).—Lat. 18° 26', long. 102° 07', elev. 520 m. A ranch 7 kilometers by road north-northeast of San Salvador in the northern foothills of the Sierra de Coalcomán; arid tropical scrub forest.
Ocorla.—Lat. 18° 38', long. 103° 07', elev. 885 m. A ranch about 6 hours by mule south-southeast of Coalcomán; scrubby oak forest.
Opopeo.—Lat. 19° 24', long. 101° 37', elev. 2800 m. A village 16 kilometers south of Pátzcuaro; pine and fir forest.
Orilla (La).—Lat. 18° 00', long. 102° 12', elev. 10 m. The site of a former hacienda of the same name near the mouth of the Río Balsas; arid tropical scrub forest.
Oropeo.—Lat. 18° 52', long. 101° 48', elev. 300 m. A village in the Tepalcatepec Valley about 13 kilometers south of La Huacana; arid tropical scrub forest.
Ostula.—Lat. 18° 30', long. 103° 28', elev. 120 m. A village in the seaward foothills of the Sierra de Coalcomán, located on the Río Ostula about 16 kilometers east-southeast of La Placita; arid tropical scrub forest and scattered tropical semi-deciduous forest.
Ozumatlán (Sierra de).—A range in the Cordillera Volcánica extending east-northeast from a point south of Morelia to Queréndaro and reaching elevations in excess of 2600 m.
Palma (La).—Lat. 20° 09', long. 102° 46', elev. 1525 m. A village on the southeastern shore of Lago de Chapala; lake-shore marshes and mesquite-grassland.
Paracho.—Lat. 19° 39', long. 102° 02', elev. 2375 m. A Tarascan village in the Cordillera Volcánica, located 35 kilometers by road north of Uruapan; pine forest.
Parangaricutiro (San Juan de).—Lat. 19° 30', long. 102° 15', elev. 2200 m. A former Tarascan village that was destroyed by the eruption of Volcán Parícutin; lava and volcanic ash amidst open pine forest.
Parícutin (Volcán).—Lat. 19° 30', long. 102° 16', elev. 2200 m. at base and 2700 m. at summit. A volcano born in February, 1943; it ceased to be active in December, 1951, and is located at the north-northeastern base of Cerro de Tancítaro; volcanic ash and lava amidst open pine forest.
Paso Ancho.—Lat. 19° 28', long. 100° 52', elev. 1100 m. A small village 30 kilometers south of El Temazcal on the road to Huetamo; arid tropical scrub forest.
Patamba (Sierra).—Lat. 19° 45', long. 102° 21', elev. 3700 m. at summit. A mountain, the summit of which is about 22 kilometers southwest of Tangancícuaro; pine forest from 2000 to 2600 m.; fir forest above 2600 m.
Pátzcuaro.—Lat. 19° 30', long. 101° 36', elev. 2200 m. A town near the southeastern shore of Lago de Pátzcuaro; pine forest.
Pátzcuaro (Lago de).—A large lake on the southwestern part of the Mexican Plateau at an elevation of 2165 m. It has no outlet. The lake is surrounded by mountains supporting pine and pine-oak forest. Along the southern and eastern shores of the lake are small marshes.
Peñas (Las).—Lat. 18° 03', long. 102° 38', sea level. A small village on the Pacific coast; arid tropical scrub forest.
Pichi (Estero).—Lat. 18° 01', long. 102° 24', sea level. A brackish lagoon surrounded by mangroves and coconut groves, located just east of Playa Azul.
Pino Gordo.—Lat. 19° 42', long. 100° 45', elev. 2600 m. A ranch 37 kilometers by road west of Ciudad Hidalgo; pine-oak forest.
Placita (La).—Lat. 18° 32', long. 103° 37', elev. 20 m. A village on the coastal lowlands, located on the Río Aquila; arid tropical scrub forest; tropical semi-deciduous forest along the river.
Playa (La).—Lat. 18° 57', long. 102° 33', elev. 800 m. A small village on the western edge of the lava flow of Volcán Jorullo; arid tropical scrub forest and some tropical semi-deciduous forest in ravines.
Playa Azul.—Lat. 18° 01', long. 102° 25', sea level. A village on the Pacific coast near the mouth of the Río Carrizal; arid tropical scrub forest; coconut plantations; mangrove-lined lagoons.
Pómaro.—Lat. 18° 18', long. 103° 17', elev. 300 m. An Indian village in the southern foothills of the Sierra de Coalcomán, located about 3 hours by mule north-northeast of Maruata; tropical semi-deciduous forest.
Pozos (Los).—Lat. 18° 30', long. 103° 17', elev. 300 m. A ranch located about 5 hours by mule north of Coire; tropical semi-deciduous forest.
Queréndaro.—Lat. 19° 48', long. 100° 53', elev. 1900 m. A town on the Mexican Plateau south of Lago de Cuitzeo; mesquite-grassland.
Quiroga.—Lat. 19° 42', long. 101° 30', elev. 2200 m. A Tarascan town on the north edge of Lago de Pátzcuaro; mesquite-grassland and pine-oak forest.
Reyes (Los).—Lat. 19° 35', long. 102° 28', elev. 1500 m. A town in western Michoacán, 50 kilometers south-southwest of Zamora; mesquite-grassland, oak and pine forest.
Sabino (El).—Lat. 19° 14', long. 102° 03', elev. 1050 m. A hacienda about 24 kilometers south of Uruapan; arid tropical scrub forest, many streams, rice fields.
Sahuayo.—Lat. 20° 05', long. 102° 43', elev. 1550 m. A town just south of the eastern end of Lago de Chapala; mesquite-grassland.
Salada (La).—Lat. 19° 07', long. 102° 00', elev. 580 m. A ranch southwest of Lombardia; arid tropical scrub forest.
Salto (Arroyo El).—Lat. 18° 45', long. 103° 04', elev. 1370 m. A valley of the Río Flores about 3 hours by mule east-southeast of Coalcomán; pine-oak forest.
San Andrés (Cerro).—Lat. 19° 48', long. 100° 35', elev. 3950 m. at summit. A mountain, the summit of which is about 16 kilometers north-northwest of Ciudad Hidalgo; oak forest to 2500 m. and pine and fir forest above 2500 m.
San José (de la Cumbre).—Lat. 19° 41', long. 100° 50', elev. 2750 m. A ranch 51 kilometers by road east of Morelia; pine and fir forest.
San José (de la Montaña).—Lat. 18° 25', long. 103° 06', elev. 750 m. A village sometimes called La Guitarra, located 14 hours by mule south-southeast of Coalcomán; tropical semi-deciduous forest.
San Pedro Naranjestila.—Lat. 18° 17', long. 103° 06', elev. 500 m. An Indian village in the southern foothills of the Sierra de Coalcomán; tropical semi-deciduous forest.
San Salvador.—Lat. 18° 25', long. 102° 08', elev. 700 m. A small village in the Sierra de Coalcomán, 37 kilometers by road northeast of Arteaga; arid tropical scrub forest.
San Telmo (Ojos de Agua de).—Lat. 18° 37', long. 103° 42', sea level. A small settlement at the base of Punto San Juan de Lima; tropical semi-deciduous forest and groves of oil palms.
San Telmo (Punta).—Lat. 18° 18', long. 103° 29', sea level. A rocky promontory jutting into the Pacific Ocean, on which there is a lighthouse (El Faro); arid tropical scrub forest.
Santa Ana.—Lat. 18° 27', long. 102° 06', elev. 600 m. A ranch about 4 kilometers by road northeast of San Salvador; arid tropical scrub forest.
Tacámbaro.—Lat. 19° 05', long. 101° 22', elev. 1820 m. A town in the Cordillera Volcánica; pine forest.
Tacícuaro.—Lat. 19° 38', long. 101° 18', elev. 2000 m. A village 21 kilometers east-southeast of Quiroga; mesquite-grassland and scrubby oak forest.
Tafetan.—Lat. 19° 43', long. 100° 52', elev. 1000 m. A village 40 kilometers by road south of El Temazcal; arid tropical scrub forest.
Tancítaro.—Lat. 19° 20', long. 102° 22', elev. 1850 m. A small town on the southern slope of Cerro de Tancítaro; pine-oak forest.
Tancítaro (Cerro de).—Lat. 19° 25', long. 102° 18', elev. 3870 m. at summit. An old volcano in the Cordillera Volcánica; the southern slope drops into the Tepalcatepec Valley; the summit is about 30 kilometers west of Uruapan; pine and oak forest on lower slopes replaced by pine or fir forest above.
Tangamandapio.—Lat. 19° 56', long. 102° 25', elev. 1700 m. A small town on the Mexican Plateau between Jiquilpan and Zamora; mesquite-grassland and irrigated fields.
Tangancícuaro.—Lat. 19° 52', long. 102° 13', elev. 1770 m. A town 12 kilometers by road southeast of Zamora; mesquite-grassland and irrigated fields.
Tarascos (Sierra de los).—A name applied to that part of the Cordillera Volcánica extending eastward from Cerro de Tancítaro and Sierra Patamba to Pátzcuaro.
Tarécuaro.—Lat. 19° 53', long. 102° 29', elev. 1700 m. A village on the Mexican Plateau, 26 kilometers southwest of Zamora; mesquite-grassland and pine-oak forest.
Tecatas (Las).—Lat. 18° 36', long. 103° 17', elev. 1950 m. A ranch located about 10 hours by mule south-southwest of Coalcomán; oak forest.
Temazcal (El).—Lat. 19° 40', long. 100° 56', elev. 2200 m. A road junction, 29 kilometers east of Morelia; here the road to Huetamo leads south from the Mexico City-Morelia highway; pine forest.
Tepalcatepec.—Lat. 19° 10', long. 102° 50', elev. 570 m. A village in the upper Tepalcatepec Valley; arid tropical scrub forest.
Tepalcatepec (Río).—A large river having its headwaters in southeastern Jalisco and flowing through a broad valley, which separates the Cordillera Volcánica from the Sierra de Coalcomán, to the Río Balsas.
Ticuiz (El).—Lat. 18° 40', long. 103° 40', elev. 10 m. A village on the coastal plain about 11 kilometers south of Coahuayana; arid tropical scrub forest and tropical semi-deciduous forest.
Tinguidín.—Lat. 19° 45', long. 102° 28', elev. 1800 m. A small town, 17 kilometers north of Los Reyes; pine-oak forest.
Tizupan (Río).—Lat. 18° 09', long. 102° 55' (mouth). A small river flowing southward from the Sierra de Coalcomán to the Pacific Ocean.
Tlalpujahua.—Lat. 19° 48', long. 100° 10', elev. 2600 m. A mining town in the northeastern part of the state; pine and fir forest.
Tumbiscatio.—Lat. 18° 32', long. 102° 20', elev. 900 m. A town in the Sierra de Coalcomán; arid tropical scrub forest.
Tupátaro.—Lat. 19° 53', long. 100° 15', elev. 2050 m. A village in the northeastern corner of the state, 13 kilometers northwest of Tlalpujahua; oak forest.
Tuxpan.—Lat. 19° 35', long. 100° 27', elev. 1850 m. A town in a basin nearly surrounded by mountains and near the headwaters of the Río Tuxpan, 19 kilometers by road east-southeast of Ciudad Hidalgo; arid mesquite-grassland and irrigated fields.
Tuxpan (Río).—A river draining the mountains in the eastern part of the state and flowing southward into the Río Balsas.
Tzararacua (Cascada).—Lat. 19° 18', long. 102° 02', 1430 m. A waterfalls of the Río Cupatitzio, 10.5 kilometers by road south of Uruapan; oak forest with scattered pines.
Tzintzuntzan.—Lat. 19° 38', long. 101° 35', elev. 2170 m. A village at the site of the seat of the ancient Tarascan empire on the eastern shore of Lago de Pátzcuaro; grasslands and marshes.
Tzitzio.—Lat. 19° 35', long. 100° 55', elev. 1630 m. A village 16 kilometers by road south of El Temazcal; pine-oak and arid tropical scrub forest.
Ucareo (Serranía de).—A part of the Cordillera Volcánica, including Cerro San Andrés.
Undameo.—Lat. 19° 34', long. 101° 17', elev. 2000 m. A village 20 kilometers west-southwest of Morelia; mesquite-grassland.
Uruapan.—Lat. 19° 25', long. 102° 02', elev. 1630 m. A large town on the southern slopes of the Cordillera Volcánica; pine-oak forest.
Zacapu.—Lat. 19° 48', long. 101° 47', elev. 2000 m. A town on the Mexican Plateau; mesquite-grassland.
Zamora.—Lat. 19° 59', long. 102° 17', elev. 1570 m. A large town on the Mexican Plateau; mesquite-grassland.
Zicuiran.—Lat. 18° 53', long. 101° 55', elev. 190 m. A small village 23 kilometers east-southeast of Cuatro Caminos; arid tropical scrub forest.
Zinapécuaro.—Lat. 19° 52', long. 100° 49', elev. 1900 m. A town near the southeastern end of Lago de Cuitzeo; mesquite-grassland and pine-oak forest.
Ziracuaretiro.—Lat. 19° 25', long. 101° 52', elev. 1230 m. A village 19 kilometers by road east of Uruapan; transition between pine-oak forest and arid tropical scrub forest.
Zirimícuaro.—Lat. 19° 24', long. 101° 56', elev. 1300 m. A hacienda 13 kilometers by road east of Uruapan; pine-oak forest and fields of sugar cane.
Zitácuaro.—Lat. 19° 25', long. 100° 21', elev. 2100 m. A town in the highlands of eastern Michoacán; pine-oak forest.
Zurumbeneo.—Lat. 19° 43', long. 101° 02', elev. 2100 m. A ranch 19 kilometers by road east of Morelia; scrubby oak forest.
SUMMARY
The preceding analysis of the amphibians and reptiles of the state of Michoacán shows that the herpetofauna is composed of 176 species and subspecies definitely recorded from the state, plus ten others that probably occur there. Ten species are reported for the first time from Michoacán: Pseudoeurycea robertsi, Leptodactylus occidentalis, Microbatrachylus pygmaeus, Pternohyla fodiens, Hypopachus caprimimus, Phyllodactylus homolepidurus, Anolis dunni, Sceloporus bulleri, Sceloporus heterolepis, and Geagras redimitus. Five species that have been reported previously from Michoacán are based on specimens having unreliable locality data or on misidentifications; therefore, the following species are not considered to be a part of the herpetofauna of Michoacán: Caiman crocodilus fuscus, Urosaurus irregularis, Geophis nasalis, Tropidodipsas fasciata guerreroensis, and Micrurus fitzingeri fitzingeri.
Systematic studies based at least in part on specimens from Michoacán have resulted in a redefinition of nine species and subspecies: Bufo marmoreus, Bufo perplexus, Anolis nebulosus, Anolis nebuloides, Sceloporus bulleri, Sceloporus heterolepis, Sceloporus melanorhinus calligaster, Hypsiglena torquata torquata, and Hypsiglena torquata ochrorhyncha.
Nine species that previously have been recognized as valid have been placed in synonymy. These are: Bufo horribilis Wiegmann, 1833, and Bufo angustipes Smith and Taylor, 1945, as synonyms of Bufo marinus (Linnaeus), 1758. Microbatrachylus albolabris Taylor, 1940, Microbatrachylus minimus Taylor, 1940, and Microbatrachylus imitator Taylor, 1942, as synonyms of Microbatrachylus pygmaeus (Taylor), 1937. Phrynohyas corasterias Shannon and Humphrey, 1957, as a synonym of Phrynohyas inflata (Taylor), 1944. Hyla microeximia Maslin, 1957, as a synonym of Hyla eximia Baird, 1854. Hylella azteca Taylor, 1943, as a synonym of Hyla smaragdina Taylor, 1940. Loxocemus sumichrasti Bocourt, 1876, as a synonym of Loxocemus bicolor Cope, 1861. Eleutherodactylus vocalis Taylor, 1940, is considered to be a subspecies of Eleutherodactylus rugulosus. The populations of Thamnophis dorsalis in the Tepalcatepec Valley are shown to be distinct from those inhabiting the highlands of the state; Thamnophis dorsalis postremus Smith, 1942, is revived for the population in the Tepalcatepec Valley.
Descriptions are given of the tadpoles of Bufo occidentalis and Hyla bistincta.
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