A new species of high-crested toad of the Bufo valliceps group from north-central Honduras

A new species of the Bufo valliceps group is described from the Caribbean v ersant of northcentral Honduras. The new species can be distinguished from the other members of the group by the following combination of characters: supraorbital and parietal crests strongly elevated, higher than poster bita l crest at confluence of these three crests; parietal crest higher than sup raorbital crest, arched, gradually sloping downward posteriorly; parietal c rest not expanded laterally; m. interhyoideus unpigmented, forming small un ilobed vocal sac; tympana small ((x) over bar = 43.0% of eye length in male s and 45.4% of eye length in females); and shanks long ((x) over bar = 46.1 % of snout-vent length in males and 44.2% of snout-vent length in females). The new species is most often found in primary broadleaf forests, but can be found sympatrically with B. valliceps in late second growth broadleaf fo rest. The new form disappears when the primary forests are cleared and is r eplaced in these degraded habitats by B. valliceps. There is no evidence to indicate that the new species forms breeding aggregations.