Schmidt's Pigmy Salamander
Thorius schmidti
Overview
Thorius schmidti, commonly known as Schmidt's pigmy salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Mexico and only known from near the village of Zoquitlán in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca of southern Puebla, possibly also from Oaxaca. It is named after Karl Patterson Schmidt, American herpetologist.
Thorius schmidti 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 salamander's survival in high-elevation environments.
Habitat
This diminutive salamander inhabits cloud forests and pine-oak forests at elevations between 2,400-3,100 meters in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico. It requires cool, moist microhabitats with abundant leaf litter and moss cover, typically found in undisturbed montane forest ecosystems.
Conservation measures underway
Other threatened species in PLETHODONTIDAE
Threatened in Mexico
Frequently asked questions
Why is Schmidt's Pigmy Salamander classified as Critically Endangered?
Where does Schmidt's Pigmy Salamander live?
What are the main threats to Schmidt's Pigmy Salamander?
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