Adult: Species description based on Savage (2002). Small salamander. Size of adults ranges from 56-113 mm, including the tail. Females are larger than males (Bruce 1997). Tail is about same length as the body. Dorsal: Light to gray-brown, often with darker streaks or mottling. Arms and legs are typically darker than the body. Individuals turn darker during the day and their skin develops folds not present at night (Leenders and Watkins-Colwell 2003). Distinguishing characteristics: Fleshy fold present extending across the head just behind the eyes. Eye: Eyes large. Extremities: Hands and feet fully webbed.
Breeding season: Bruce (1997) found gravid females in every month that he sampled (excluding February and April), which suggests that breeding may occurs year-round in this species. However, February and April are typically drier months, so breeding may also cease for a short period each year. Egg: Gravid females collected by Bruce (1997) contained 12-16 ova. Eggs are laid in moist leaf litter and develop directly (Guyer and Donnelly 2005).
Habitat: Lowland and premontane rainforest to 1245 m. Ecology: This nocturnal species may be found low-lying vegetation (approximately a meter or so above ground, Bruce 1997) or on epiphytic plants or in bromeliads (Guyer and Donnelly 2005). During the day, the salamanders curl up inside dead leaves (Leenders and Watkins-Colwell 2003). Behavior and communication: These salamanders typically move very slowly, often rocking their body as they go forward (Leenders and Watkins-Colwell 2003). In response to disturbance, the animals sometimes use their tails to flip themselves off of vegetation and scurry into leaf litter (Leenders and Watkins-Colwell 2003). However, they typically do not react strongly to being picked up or harrassed (Taylor 1952, Leenders and Watkins-Colwell 2003). Evolotion: The plethodontid salamanders, including B. colonnea, have undergone an extensive radiation in the tropics. Isolation of populations resulting from the geography and elevational gradients in the region, as well as extreme microhabitat specialization, have contributed to this diversification (Garcia-Paris et al 2000, Wake 1987). Type locality: "La Loma, on trail from Chiriquicito to Boquete, altitude about 2000 feet, Bocas del Toro, Panama"