A nature preserve guard in Guatemala was in for a surprise while he was on his lunch break. The nature preserve guard in Guatemala spotted a creature that biologists had lost track of for 42 years.
Ramos León-Tomás, a 27-year-old guard at the Finca San Isidro Amphibian Reserve, found the Jackson's Climbing Salamander while on his lunch break in October. This species was not seen since it was first discovered in western Guatemala by two American students in 1975.
Jackson's Climbing Salamander belongs to the Plethodontidae family. Its natural habitat is a tropical or subtropical moist forest. Due to habitat loss, its existence is being threatened. The salamander is among the 25 'most wanted lost' species under Global Wildlife Conservation's 'Search for lost species'.
USAC University in Guatemala's Carlos Vasquez stated in a press release that they previously believed the species was gone but now that it is back from extinction, this species of salamander marks a promising future for the conservation of nature.
"This rediscovery can only be a good omen for the future of the Search for Lost Species campaign. It's a sign that if we get out there and work at it, many of these species can be found and saved," stated president of Global Wildlife Conservation, Don Church.
This amphibian was spotted at a much higher altitude, as much as 1,000 feet higher than where the biologists had been looking for them. The original group of salamanders was discovered under a tree bark in Guatemala's Sierra de los Cuchumatanes.
