Buzz
After vanishing for 42 years, the vibrant Jackson's climbing salamander (Bolitoglossa jacksoni) has recently been spotted again in Guatemala's Cuchumatanes Mountains, as reported by LiveScience. This marks just the second time it's been seen in the wild and the third time any member of its species has been observed.
Known as the 'golden wonder' due to its striking yellow color, Jackson's climbing salamander also has a bold black stripe running from its head to its tail. In 1975, Jeremy Jackson and his friend Paul Elias first discovered these rare creatures while trekking through the Cuchumatanes Mountains. Their expedition also led to the discovery of two other new species: the long-limbed salamander (Nyctanolis pernix) and the Finca Chiblac salamander (Bradytriton silus).
All three species proved to be incredibly elusive. While sightings of the long-limbed and Finca Chiblac salamanders were reported during expeditions in 2009 and 2010, Jackson's climbing salamander—which had been originally discovered hidden beneath tree bark in a cloud forest, according to ScienceAlert—remained a mystery.
In April 2017, the nonprofit organization Global Wildlife Conservation included the long-missing amphibian on its list of the Top 25 "most wanted" species. This list was part of their Lost Species initiative, aimed at rediscovering and possibly saving rare species that had been unseen for years or even decades. A planned search expedition to Guatemala in January 2018 to find Jackson's climbing salamander was ultimately preempted by a man named Ramos León from Guatemala.
León, a guard at the Finca San Isidro Amphibian Reserve in the Cuchumatanes (also known as the Yal Unin Yul Witz Reserve), was on patrol in October 2017 when he spotted and photographed a young Jackson's climbing salamander. He sent the image to Carlos Vasquez, a curator of herpetology at USAC University in Guatemala.
Vasquez, who is credited with rediscovering both the Finca Chiblac salamander and the long-limbed salamander, had been searching for Jackson's climbing salamander since 2005. He had trained León and other guards on how to identify the amphibian—known to conceal itself in moss, leaves, or bark—and even posted a picture of it at the reserve.
"We had started to worry that the species might be extinct, and now it's as though it's returned from the brink," Vasquez remarked in a statement. "It's a heartwarming story that signals hope for the future of conservation in this unique area."
Vasquez wasn't the only one celebrating the news. "When I got the call from Carlos that Bolitoglossa jacksoni had been rediscovered, I jumped off the couch where I'd been dozing, swore loudly (in a good way), and danced with joy," Jackson shared in a news release.
The Finca San Isidro Reserve was founded in 2015 by a coalition of global wildlife conservation organizations. Their mission was to safeguard the habitat of the species, and it appears their hard work has paid off.
"With the Cuchumatanes Range under threat—a known hotspot for endangered amphibians and a top global conservation priority—we took swift action in 2015 to help secure and protect vital lands," said Paul Salaman, CEO of Rainforest Trust, in a statement. "We are thrilled to announce that this critical wildlife sanctuary has allowed for the survival and eventual rediscovery of the remarkable Jackson's climbing salamander."
