CR

Bearded Salamander

Pseudoeurycea tenchalli

Declining

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Pseudoeurycea tenchalli faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and urban development in its restricted montane range. The species' extremely limited distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to local environmental changes, while deforestation for coffee cultivation and cattle ranching continues to fragment its cloud forest habitat. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the moisture regimes essential for this salamander's survival.

Threat summary

Habitat

This salamander inhabits cloud forests and pine-oak forests at elevations between 2,400-3,000 meters in the mountains of central Mexico. It requires moist microhabitats with abundant leaf litter and fallen logs, typically found in well-preserved montane forest ecosystems.

Conservation measures underway

Resource & habitat protectionSpecies recovery

Other threatened species in PLETHODONTIDAE

Honduran Lowland Worm SalamanderVU

Honduran Lowland Worm Salamander

Oedipina quadra

Declining
Kings River Slender SalamanderEN

Kings River Slender Salamander

Batrachoseps regius

Unknown
Conant's Mushroomtongue SalamanderVU

Conant's Mushroomtongue Salamander

Bolitoglossa conanti

Declining
VU

Pygmy Web-footed Salamander

Bolitoglossa pygmaea

Stable

Threatened in Mexico

EN

Turbinicarpus horripilus

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CR

Turbinicarpus mandragora

Declining
EN

Opuntia pachyrrhiza

Declining
EN

Arachnothryx tacanensis

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Bearded Salamander classified as Critically Endangered?
Bearded Salamander is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Pseudoeurycea tenchalli faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and urban development in its restricted montane range. The species' extremely limited distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to local environmental changes, while deforestation for coffee cultivation and cattle ranching continues to fragment its cloud forest habitat. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the moisture regimes essential for this salamander's survival.
Where does Bearded Salamander live?
Bearded Salamander occurs in Mexico. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Bearded Salamander?
The main threats to Bearded Salamander are 1.1, 5.1, 5.1.1, and 5.3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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