About Isthmura bellii (Gray, 1850)
Scientific Classification and Common Names
Isthmura bellii (Gray, 1850), commonly called Bell's false brook salamander or Bell's salamander, is a species of salamander belonging to the family Plethodontidae.
Endemic Range
This species is endemic to Mexico.
Distribution Details
It occurs mostly along the western and southern margins of the Mexican Plateau, with additional isolated populations found in other locations across the country.
Natural Habitat Types
Its natural habitats are high-elevation pine forests and pine-oak forests, as well as forest edges and grazed areas.
Modified Habitat Tolerance
It can tolerate habitat modification, and is also found in degraded forests, coffee plantations, rural gardens, and areas close to urbanized and highly disturbed sites.
Microhabitat Preferences
This terrestrial species is typically found under logs, rocks, waste timber, and brush piles, as well as within leaf litter.
Population Trend
While it was once a common species, Isthmura bellii has disappeared from many of its former locations.
Decline Drivers
The causes of this population decline are not clear, even though habitat loss is ongoing across the entire range of the species.
