Pristimantis polemistes
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Pristimantis polemistes faces severe threats from rapid deforestation and agricultural expansion within its extremely limited range in the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia. The species' restriction to high-elevation cloud forests makes it particularly vulnerable to climate change, as warming temperatures force suitable habitat upslope with nowhere left to retreat. Mining activities and cattle ranching have further fragmented the remaining forest patches, isolating small populations and reducing genetic diversity.
Habitat
This species inhabits montane cloud forests and elfin forests at elevations between 2,800-3,200 meters in the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia. It requires the persistent moisture and stable temperatures characteristic of these high-altitude cloud forest ecosystems.