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.