CR

Forest Bromeliad Salamander

Dendrotriton cuchumatanus

Declining

Overview

Dendrotriton cuchumatanus is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Guatemala and is known from its type locality near San Juan Ixcoy in the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, and possibly from another, as yet unconfirmed record. Common name forest bromeliad salamander has been coined for it, although it does not seem to inhabit bromeliads.

Dendrotriton cuchumatanus faces severe threats from deforestation and agricultural expansion in Guatemala's Cuchumatanes Mountains, where its cloud forest habitat is being rapidly converted for coffee cultivation and cattle ranching. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, while climate change threatens to shift the cool, moist conditions essential for this salamander's survival to higher elevations where suitable habitat may not exist.

Threat summary

Habitat

This salamander inhabits cloud forests and pine-oak forests in the Cuchumatanes Mountains of Guatemala, typically found at elevations between 2,400-3,000 meters. It requires cool, humid conditions with abundant moss and leaf litter, often sheltering under logs and rocks in these montane ecosystems.

Forest· majorForest - Temperate· major

Conservation measures underway

Species 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 Guatemala

EN

Arachnothryx tacanensis

Declining
EN

Baird's Tapir

Tapirus bairdii

Declining
VU

Phrygiopilus acanthophallus

Stable

Frequently asked questions

Why is Forest Bromeliad Salamander classified as Critically Endangered?
Forest Bromeliad 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. Dendrotriton cuchumatanus faces severe threats from deforestation and agricultural expansion in Guatemala's Cuchumatanes Mountains, where its cloud forest habitat is being rapidly converted for coffee cultivation and cattle ranching. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, while climate change threatens to shift the cool, moist conditions essential for this salamander's survival to higher elevations where suitable habitat may not exist.
Where does Forest Bromeliad Salamander live?
Forest Bromeliad Salamander 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 Forest Bromeliad Salamander?
The main threats to Forest Bromeliad Salamander are 11.1, 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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