Pitahaya
CR

Pitahaya

Leptocereus assurgens

Unknown

Photo: Photo: (c) Dayron Breto, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Dayron Breto

Overview

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

Leptocereus assurgens faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to urban development and agricultural expansion across its limited range in the Caribbean. The species' restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized threats, while climate change poses additional risks through altered precipitation patterns and increased storm intensity affecting its specialized dry forest habitat.

Threat summary

Habitat

This columnar cactus species inhabits dry coastal forests, limestone hills, and rocky outcrops in arid and semi-arid regions of the Caribbean. It typically occurs in areas with well-drained soils and is adapted to drought conditions and salt spray exposure.

Other threatened species in Cactaceae

CR

Acharagma aguirreana

Unknown
Key tree cactusEN

Key tree cactus

Pilosocereus robinii

Unknown
Tuna de CruzCR

Tuna de Cruz

Consolea macracantha

Unknown
West Indian Nipple-cactusCR

West Indian Nipple-cactus

Mammillaria prolifera

Unknown

Threatened in Cuba

Calidris ferrugineaVU

Calidris ferruginea

Declining
EN

Stenostomum minutifolium

Stable
EN

Eugenia jambosoides

Unknown
EN

Solenandra cordata

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Pitahaya classified as Critically Endangered?
Pitahaya 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. Leptocereus assurgens faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to urban development and agricultural expansion across its limited range in the Caribbean. The species' restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized threats, while climate change poses additional risks through altered precipitation patterns and increased storm intensity affecting its specialized dry forest habitat.
Where does Pitahaya live?
Pitahaya occurs in Cuba, Haiti, and Martinique. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Pitahaya?
The main threats to Pitahaya are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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