Dwindling in the mountains: Description of a critically endangered and microendemic Onychodactylus species (Amphibia, Hynobiidae) from the Korean Peninsula

DEAR EDITOR,Species that are not formally described are generally not targets for conservation,regardless of their threatened status.While habitat degradation has increased over the past several decades in the Republic of Korea,taxonomic and conservation efforts continue to lag.For instance,a clade of Onychodactylus clawed salamanders from the extreme southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula,which diverged ca.6.82 million years ago from its sister species O.koreanus,is under intense anthropogenic pressure due to its extremely restricted range,despite its candidate species status.Here,