CR

Jackson's Mushroomtongue Salamander

Bolitoglossa jacksoni

Declining

Overview

Jackson's climbing salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Guatemala. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

It is threatened by habitat loss. The salamander is among the 25 "most wanted lost" species that are the focus of Global Wildlife Conservation's "Search for Lost Species" initiative, as it had not been seen since 1975. It was rediscovered in 2017 at an amphibian reserve in the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes.

Bolitoglossa jacksoni faces severe threats from deforestation and agricultural expansion in its restricted montane range in Guatemala. The species' extremely limited distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, while climate change poses additional risks by altering the cool, moist conditions essential for this salamander's survival. Coffee cultivation and cattle ranching have eliminated much of the original cloud forest habitat within its range.

Threat summary

Habitat

This salamander inhabits cloud forests and pine-oak forests at elevations between 1,400-2,100 meters in the mountains of Guatemala. It requires cool, humid conditions with abundant leaf litter and fallen logs for shelter and breeding.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical moist lowland· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionResource & 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 Guatemala

EN

Arachnothryx tacanensis

Declining
EN

Baird's Tapir

Tapirus bairdii

Declining
VU

Phrygiopilus acanthophallus

Stable

Frequently asked questions

Why is Jackson's Mushroomtongue Salamander classified as Critically Endangered?
Jackson's Mushroomtongue 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. Bolitoglossa jacksoni faces severe threats from deforestation and agricultural expansion in its restricted montane range in Guatemala. The species' extremely limited distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, while climate change poses additional risks by altering the cool, moist conditions essential for this salamander's survival. Coffee cultivation and cattle ranching have eliminated much of the original cloud forest habitat within its range.
Where does Jackson's Mushroomtongue Salamander live?
Jackson's Mushroomtongue 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 Jackson's Mushroomtongue Salamander?
The main threats to Jackson's Mushroomtongue Salamander are 11.1, 2.1, 2.3, and 5.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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