CR

Spotted Thorius

Thorius spilogaster

Declining

Overview

Thorius spilogaster, commonly known as the spotted thorius, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Mexico and only known from the south and southeast flanks of Pico de Orizaba in central Veracruz, at elevations of 2,500–2,725 m (8,202–8,940 ft) asl.

Thorius spilogaster faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and logging activities in Mexico's cloud forests. The species' extremely restricted range makes it particularly vulnerable to local environmental changes, while climate change poses additional risks by altering the cool, humid conditions essential for its survival. Pollution from agricultural runoff and urban development further degrades the limited remaining habitat patches.

Threat summary

Habitat

This diminutive salamander inhabits the leaf litter and moss layers of cloud forests in the mountains of central Mexico. It requires cool, consistently humid microhabitats with dense vegetation cover, typically found at elevations between 2,000-3,000 meters.

Forest· majorForest - Temperate· major

Conservation measures underway

Resource & habitat protectionHabitat & natural process restorationSpecies recovery

Other threatened species in PLETHODONTIDAE

Honduran Lowland Worm SalamanderVU

Honduran Lowland Worm Salamander

Oedipina quadra

Declining
Kings River Slender SalamanderEN

Kings River Slender Salamander

Batrachoseps regius

Unknown
Conant's Mushroomtongue SalamanderVU

Conant's Mushroomtongue Salamander

Bolitoglossa conanti

Declining
VU

Pygmy Web-footed Salamander

Bolitoglossa pygmaea

Stable

Threatened in Mexico

EN

Turbinicarpus horripilus

Declining
CR

Turbinicarpus mandragora

Declining
EN

Opuntia pachyrrhiza

Declining
EN

Arachnothryx tacanensis

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Spotted Thorius classified as Critically Endangered?
Spotted Thorius 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. Thorius spilogaster faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and logging activities in Mexico's cloud forests. The species' extremely restricted range makes it particularly vulnerable to local environmental changes, while climate change poses additional risks by altering the cool, humid conditions essential for its survival. Pollution from agricultural runoff and urban development further degrades the limited remaining habitat patches.
Where does Spotted Thorius live?
Spotted Thorius occurs in Mexico. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Spotted Thorius?
The main threats to Spotted Thorius are 2.1, 2.2, 5.1, and 5.1.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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