Parvimolge

Parvimolge is a genus of salamanders in the family Plethodontidae, the lungless salamanders.[3] It is currently considered as monotypic, although this may yet change as molecular data suggest that it is embedded within a paraphyletic Pseudoeurycea.[4][5] Parvimolge townsendi is endemic to the Sierra Madre Oriental in central and southern Veracruz, Mexico.[1][3] It is represented by the species Parvimolge townsendi, commonly known as Townsend's dwarf salamander.

Parvimolge
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Subfamily: Hemidactyliinae
Genus: Parvimolge
Taylor, 1944
Species:
P. townsendi
Binomial name
Parvimolge townsendi
(Dunn, 1922)[2]
Synonyms
  • Oedipus townsendi Dunn, 1922
  • Bolitoglossa townsendi (Dunn, 1922)

Habitat and conservation

Natural habitats of Parvimolge townsendi are cloud and oak forests. They are usually found living in bromeliads or on the ground. They are somewhat adaptable and can survive in shaded coffee plantations as long as humidity levels are maintained.[1]

Parvimolge townsendi has never been common, but it has undergone significant population declines. It has only been observed once since 1997, despite efforts to locate it. It is threatened by habitat loss, but more information on the reasons for the decline of this species is needed.[1]

Parvimolge townsendi was once considered abundant, however Batrachochytrium dendrobatis, Chytrid fungus, infected this species' geographic range about 40 years ago, devastating many amphibian populations, including Townsend's dwarf salamander (Sandoval-Comte, 2012).[6] The IUCN has even labeled this species as 'possibly extinct,' under geographic range because it has only been spotted once since 1997.[1] However, surveys throughout the 2010s found it to be present in most areas, and even moderately abundant in some places.[1]

References
  1. UCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2020). "Parvimolge townsendi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Dunn, E. R. (1922). "A new salamander from Mexico". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 35: 5–6.
  3. Frost, Darrel R. (2015). "Parvimolge townsendi (Dunn, 1922)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  4. Frost, Darrel R. (2015). "Parvimolge Taylor, 1944". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  5. Wiens, J. J; Parra-Olea, G.; Garcia-Paris, M.; Wake, D. B (2007). "Phylogenetic history underlies elevational biodiversity patterns in tropical salamanders". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 274 (1612): 919. doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.0301. PMC 2141676. PMID 17284409.
  6. Sandoval-Comte, A., Pineda, E., Aguilar-López, J.L. 2012. In Search of Critically Endangered Species: The Current Situation of Two Tiny Salamanders Species in the Neotropical Mountains of Mexico. PLoS One, 7(4):e34023.
  • AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. 2008. Berkeley, California: Parvimolge. AmphibiaWeb, available at http://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed: August 1, 2008).


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