Coffee Grove Salamander vs Collared Redstart

Aquiloeurycea cafetalera compared with Myioborus torquatus

Key Differences

• Coffee Grove Salamander is Vulnerable while Collared Redstart is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coffee Grove Salamander	Collared Redstart
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Caudata (Caudata)	Passeriformes (Songbirds)
Family	Plethodontidae	Parulidae
Genus	Aquiloeurycea	Myioborus
Species	Aquiloeurycea cafetalera	Myioborus torquatus

Evolutionary Relationship

Coffee Grove Salamander and Collared Redstart share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Coffee Grove Salamander

VU — Vulnerable

Collared Redstart

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coffee Grove Salamander	Collared Redstart
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coffee Grove Salamander

Habitat

Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Range

Found in Mexico. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Collared Redstart

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found in Norway.

Coffee Grove Salamander

The Coffee Grove Salamander (Aquiloeurycea cafetalera) is a small, fully terrestrial plethodontid salamander in the family Plethodontidae, endemic to the cloud forests and coffee agroforestry zones of the Sierra de Juárez in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Like all plethodontid salamanders, it is lungless, relying entirely on cutaneous gas exchange through its moist skin, making it exquisitely sensitive to desiccation and temperature changes. Adults are slender, with a reddish-brown dorsum and light-coloured venter, typically measuring 5–8 centimetres in total length. The species inhabits cool, humid cloud forest floor environments and the leaf litter and bark of shade-grown coffee plantations at elevations approximately between 1,500 and 2,500 metres—an association that gives it its common name. The presence of this salamander in coffee agroforestry systems highlights the biodiversity value of traditional shade-grown cultivation compared to sun-grown monocultures. The Coffee Grove Salamander is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to its restricted distribution, estimated extent of occurrence below 5,000 square kilometres, and ongoing threats from habitat loss through deforestation, conversion to sun-grown coffee cultivation, and climate-driven changes to cloud forest conditions. No ex situ conservation programmes are known to be in place.

Collared Redstart

The Collared Redstart, known scientifically as <em>Myioborus torquatus</em>, is a small passerine bird belonging to the family Parulidae, the New World warblers. <em>Myioborus torquatus</em> is a member of the whitestart or redstart group, known for their habit of fanning or spreading their tail feathers to startle insects from vegetation. The Collared Redstart is typically characterised by bright, contrasting plumage, including a distinctive collar pattern and vivid colouration on the head and underparts. The species inhabits montane forests and forest edges at higher elevations, where it is often observed foraging actively through the understorey and mid-canopy. It is reported to occur in Norway according to available range data. Detailed biological traits including typical lifespan, body length, and weight are poorly documented for this species in available literature. The Collared Redstart is currently assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.