Smith's Thorius
Thorius smithi
Overview
Thorius smithi, commonly known as Smith's salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Mexico and only known from near the towns of Vista Hermosa and Metates in Sierra Juárez, Oaxaca. Its natural habitats are cloud and tropical forests where it occurs on the ground under rocks and logs.
It is a very rare species known only from two locations, despite attempts to find it. Presumably, habitat loss caused by logging and expanding agricultural development are threats to its forest habitat.
Thorius smithi 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 plantations 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
Thorius smithi inhabits cloud forests and pine-oak forests at elevations between 2,400-3,100 meters in the mountains of central Mexico. The species requires cool, humid 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 Smith's Thorius classified as Critically Endangered?
Where does Smith's Thorius live?
What are the main threats to Smith's Thorius?
Get weekly conservation intelligence
One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.
Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.