Tag Archives: Thorius

Thorius longicaudus Parra-Olea et al.

Long-tailed Minute Salamander (Thorius longicaudus)

The Long-tailed Minute Salamander was described in 2016, it is known from two localities; one near the village of Sola de Vega, and another on near the town of San Vicente Lachixio, both in Oaxaca, Mexico.

The species reached a length of about 7 cm, it was mostly blackish brown and had a distinct, tan-reddish stripe with coppery-brassy highlights and indistinct dark chevrons extending anteriorly from the back of its head to the end of its tail.

The Long-tailed Minute Salamander was still extremely abundant in the 1970s and many individuals were found hiding in all kind of crevices at roadside banks and in stands of pines under or inside logs, under fallen branches, and even under piles of cow dung. 

When the type localities were visited again in 2014, the pine-oak forests had vanished – not a single Long-tailed Minute Salamander was found, the species has gone extinct. [1][2]

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References:

[1] Gabriela Parra-Olea; Sean M. Rovito; Mario García-París; Jessica A. Maisano; David B. Wake; James Hanken: Biology of tiny animals: three new species of minute salamanders (Plethodontidae: Thorius) from Oaxaca, Mexico. PeerJ. 2016; 4: e2694.
[2] Christopher Kemp: Die verlorenen Arten: Große Expeditionen in die Sammlungen naturkundlicher Museen. Verlag Antje Kunstmann GmbH 2019

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edited: 06.09.2019

Thorius pinicola Parra-Olea et al.

Pine-dwelling Minute Salamander (Thorius pinicola)

The Pine-dwelling Minute Salamander was described in 2016, it was found at several localities north of the village of San Miguel Suchixtepec in the Sierra Madre del Sur in Oaxaca, Mexico.

The terrestrial species inhabited montane pine-oak forests, where it was found almost always between the bark and wood of upright ree stumps.

The Pine-dwelling Minute Salamander reached a length of 5 cm, it was mainly blackish, its flanks were black suffused with fine white speckling, the back was decorated with a broad brassy copper dorsal band etched with thin black lines. 

The species was last seen in 2001 and may now already be extinct. [1][2]

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References:

[1] Gabriela Parra-Olea; Sean M. Rovito; Mario García-París; Jessica A. Maisano; David B. Wake; James Hanken: Biology of tiny animals: three new species of minute salamanders (Plethodontidae: Thorius) from Oaxaca, Mexico. PeerJ. 2016; 4: e2694.
[2] Christopher Kemp: Die verlorenen Arten: Große Expeditionen in die Sammlungen naturkundlicher Museen. Verlag Antje Kunstmann GmbH 2019

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edited: 06.09.2019

Thorius narismagnus Shannon & Werler

San Martin Pygmy Salamander (Thorius narismagnus)

The San Martin Pygmy Salamander was described in 1955 when the species was still very common.

The species was endemic to lowland forests at the foothills of the San Martin Tuxtla volcano in the Sierra de los Tuxtlas in southern Veracruz, Mexico, it inhabited the leaf-liiter on the ground and was also found under rotten logs and especially under fallen bromeliads.

San Martin Pygmy Salamander was not found since the 1980s and is now most likely extinct.

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edited: 06.09.2019

Thorius infernalis Hanken, Wake & Freeman

Atoyac Minute Salamander (Thorius infernalis)

The Atoyac Minute Salamander was described in 1999, it was very likely aleady extinct at that date. The species is known from only two specimens which were apparently collected sometimes during the early 1980s.

The salamander was restricted to its type location in the Sierra Madre del Sur in central Guerrero, Mexico, were it apparently inhabited dense vegetation along hillsides, a habitat that today is mostly converted into coffee plantations.

The Atoyac Minute Salamander has never been found since the collection of the two type specimens and is thought to be already extinct.

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edited: 06.09.2019

Thorius magnipes Hanke & Wake

Big-footed Salamander (Thorius magnipes)

The Big-footed Salamander was described in 1998, it was restricted to its type locality near the Acultzingo municipality in Veracruz, Mexico.

The ground-dwelling species inhabited pine-oak forests, were it could be found between the leaves axills of terrestrial bromeliads, but also under rocks and among the leaf-litter on the ground.

The Big-footed Salamander was last found in 2003 (as far as I know), and given the fact that its very restricted habitat is still being destroyed, this species is most likely already extinct now.

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edited: 06.09.2019

Thorius aureus Hanken & Wake

Golden Salamander (Thorius aureus)

The Golden Salamander was described in 1994, it was restricted to a small area around the peak of Cerro Pelón on the northern slopes of the Sierra Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico.

The ground-dwelling species inhabited pine-oak forests, where it was found among leaf-litter, like all of its congeners it was nocturnal and hid itself during daytime under rocks and fallen branches or logs.

The Golden Salamander reached lengths of about 5,5 cm, it was mainly blackish and had a distinct golden dorsal stripe spanning from its head to the end of its tail.

The species appears to have gone extinct sometime prior to 2008, when field surveys did not manage to finde even a single individual.

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edited: 06.09.2019