Three new species of miniaturized tropical salamanders are already endangered

An international team of researchers has completed a decades-long study of tiny salamanders found in the high-mountain forests of Oaxaca, Mexico, and concluded that they represent three new species of the enigmatic genus Thorius. With adults smaller than a matchstick, these salamanders are the smallest tailed tetrapods—their miniaturized bodies are highly unusual for a vertebrate, with structures for feeding and reproduction being among the most prominent.