Conservación de Anfibios

Mexico is a global priority for amphibian conservation. The country is home to the fifth most amphibian species in the world, and over half are found nowhere else on earth. Today, 50 per cent of Mexican amphibians are at risk of extinction. Its high-altitude cloud forests are especially vital habitat, but this ecosystem enjoys very little formal protection.  

Conservación de Anfibios founder José Alfredo Hernández Diaz created the sanctuary by purchasing an area of highly biodiverse cloud forest threatened by agricultural expansion. He has since documented thirteen species of amphibians within the site, nine of which are threatened. This includes five individuals of the Critically Endangered Cuetzalán salamander. 

The Endangered Veracruz green salamander is one of several highly threatened amphibian species living in the reserve. Image: © Conservación de Anfibios.

Through the new sanctuary, Conservación de Anfibios will protect these amphibian species, while providing an opportunity to learn more about their conservation needs. The sanctuary will also remain open to the public, and information throughout the park will invite visitors from the local community to learn more about the unique cloud forest ecosystem. 

The sanctuary also borders several other areas of privately-owned cloud forest, and Conservación de Anfibios hopes to one day expand the reserve and create an interconnected biodiversity corridor for some of Mexico’s most threatened amphibians.