CR

Big-footed Thorius

Thorius magnipes

Declining

Overview

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

Thorius magnipes faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and logging activities in its montane cloud forest habitat. The species' extremely restricted range makes it particularly vulnerable to localized environmental changes, with deforestation fragmenting the remaining suitable habitat into isolated patches. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the moisture and temperature conditions essential for this cloud forest specialist.

Threat summary

Habitat

Thorius magnipes inhabits montane cloud forests at elevations between 2,000-3,000 meters in the mountains of central Mexico. This salamander requires the consistently moist, cool conditions provided by cloud forest ecosystems, living among leaf litter and moss-covered surfaces in these fog-shrouded environments.

Forest· majorForest - Temperate· major

Conservation measures underway

Resource & habitat protectionSpecies recovery

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Big-footed Thorius classified as Critically Endangered?
Big-footed Thorius 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. Thorius magnipes faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and logging activities in its montane cloud forest habitat. The species' extremely restricted range makes it particularly vulnerable to localized environmental changes, with deforestation fragmenting the remaining suitable habitat into isolated patches. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the moisture and temperature conditions essential for this cloud forest specialist.
Where does Big-footed Thorius live?
Big-footed Thorius 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 Big-footed Thorius?
The main threats to Big-footed Thorius are 2.1, 2.3, 5.1, and 5.1.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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