Cave Spikethumb Frog
CR

Cave Spikethumb Frog

Plectrohyla tecunumani

Declining

Photo: Photo: (c) Rafael Grajeda-Estrada, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Rafael Grajeda-Estrada

Overview

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

Plectrohyla tecunumani faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and logging activities in Guatemala's cloud forest regions. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to local environmental changes, while climate change poses additional risks by altering the moisture-dependent cloud forest ecosystems essential for its survival. Chytrid fungal infections, which have devastated amphibian populations throughout Central America, represent another critical threat to this already rare species.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits cloud forests and montane humid forests at elevations between 1,500-2,500 meters in the highlands of Guatemala. It requires the persistent moisture and stable temperatures characteristic of these fog-shrouded ecosystems, typically found on vegetation near streams and in areas with dense canopy cover.

Forest· majorForest - Temperate· majorGrassland· majorCaves and subterranean habitats· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies recovery

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Scinax rupestris

Unknown
CR

Nyctimantis pomba

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Threatened in Guatemala

EN

Arachnothryx tacanensis

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Baird's Tapir

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Conant's Mushroomtongue SalamanderVU

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Bolitoglossa conanti

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VU

Phrygiopilus acanthophallus

Stable

Frequently asked questions

Why is Cave Spikethumb Frog classified as Critically Endangered?
Cave Spikethumb Frog 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. Plectrohyla tecunumani faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and logging activities in Guatemala's cloud forest regions. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to local environmental changes, while climate change poses additional risks by altering the moisture-dependent cloud forest ecosystems essential for its survival. Chytrid fungal infections, which have devastated amphibian populations throughout Central America, represent another critical threat to this already rare species.
Where does Cave Spikethumb Frog live?
Cave Spikethumb Frog occurs in Guatemala. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Cave Spikethumb Frog?
The main threats to Cave Spikethumb Frog are 11.1, 2.1, 8.1, and ai-1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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