Ridge Tail Salamander
Pseudoeurycea obesa
Photo: (c) Eric Centenero Alcalá, all rights reserved, uploaded by Eric Centenero Alcalá
Overview
The ridge tail salamander, also known as ridge-tailed salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Oaxaca, Mexico, and only known from the area of its type locality on the mountain pass of Plan de Guadalupe in the Sierra de Mazateca, part of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca, at 2,150 meters elevation. Future work might prove it to be more widespread than current records suggest. Its extent of occurrence is 10 km2.
Pseudoeurycea obesa faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat destruction from agricultural expansion and urban development in its restricted montane range. Deforestation for coffee plantations and cattle grazing has fragmented the cloud forest ecosystems this salamander depends upon. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the moisture regimes essential for this species' survival, as rising temperatures push suitable habitat to higher elevations where less area is available.
Habitat
This salamander inhabits cloud forests and pine-oak forests at elevations between 2,400-3,100 meters in the mountains of central Mexico. It requires cool, moist microhabitats with abundant leaf litter and fallen logs, typically found in well-preserved montane forest ecosystems.
Conservation measures underway
Other threatened species in PLETHODONTIDAE
Threatened in Mexico
Frequently asked questions
Why is Ridge Tail Salamander classified as Critically Endangered?
Where does Ridge Tail Salamander live?
What are the main threats to Ridge Tail Salamander?
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