CR

Lower Cerro Pigmy Salamander

Thorius pulmonaris

Declining

Overview

Thorius pulmonaris, commonly known as the lower cerro pigmy salamander or Cerro San Felipe salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Oaxaca, Mexico.

Thorius pulmonaris faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and logging activities in its restricted montane forest range. The species' extremely limited distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to local environmental changes, with deforestation for coffee cultivation and cattle ranching fragmenting its cloud forest habitat. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the moisture regimes essential for this lungless salamander's survival.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits cloud forests and pine-oak forests at elevations between 2,400-3,100 meters in the mountains of central Mexico. It requires moist microhabitats with abundant leaf litter and moss cover, typically found in undisturbed montane forest ecosystems.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical dry· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionResource & habitat protectionSpecies recoveryLegislationCompliance and enforcement

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Lower Cerro Pigmy Salamander classified as Critically Endangered?
Lower Cerro Pigmy 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. Thorius pulmonaris faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and logging activities in its restricted montane forest range. The species' extremely limited distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to local environmental changes, with deforestation for coffee cultivation and cattle ranching fragmenting its cloud forest habitat. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the moisture regimes essential for this lungless salamander's survival.
Where does Lower Cerro Pigmy Salamander live?
Lower Cerro Pigmy 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 Lower Cerro Pigmy Salamander?
The main threats to Lower Cerro Pigmy Salamander are 1.1, 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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