Oedipina poelzi

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Oedipina poelzi
Systematics
Order : Tail amphibian (caudata)
Superfamily : Salamander relatives (Salamandroidea)
Family : Lungless salamanders (Plethodontidae)
Subfamily : Hemidactyliinae
Genre : Tropical salamander ( Oedipina )
Type : Oedipina poelzi
Scientific name
Oedipina poelzi
Brame , 1963

Oedipina poelzi is a salamander from the family of pulmonary lots Salamander (Plethodontidae). It belongs to the tropical salamander ( Oedipina )genusand occurs only in the Central American state of Costa Rica . The specific epithet poelzi honors Friedrich Pölz, a German friend of the first descriptor Arden Howell Brame .

features

Oedipina poelzi reaches a head-trunk length of 41 to 64 mm, the total length with tail is 107 to 181 mm. The dorsal side of the body is brown, the belly black. The long, laterally flattened tail, not constricted at its base, shows brown spots on the black basic color. There are some whitish guanophores on its side, few on the underside of the tail and many small guanophores on the dorsal side. There are numerous small guanophores on the ventral side of the body and larger on the throat area. A narrow, cream- to silver-colored lateral stripe separates the back from the abdominal color. The strong black, brown-spotted legs are moderately long with narrow feet. The long fingers and toes are largely webbed , only the tips of the middle three toes are free. The black, indistinct brown spotted head is very broad with large eyes and a short blunt snout. The iris is black.

There are 42 to 70 teeth on the maxilla (upper jaw) and 14 to 34 teeth on the vomer (ploughshare). There are 19 to 20 rib furrows along the side of the body.

distribution

Oedipina poelzi is common in humid montane and premontane zones of the Cordillera de Tilarán , Cordillera Central and Cordillera de Talamanca in Costa Rica at altitudes of 775 to 2050 m.

Habitat and way of life

This species of salamander lives in moss and lichen mats and under stones and tree trunks near rivers. It lives relatively aquatic and is usually found near rivers, although it does not need water to reproduce . Other habitats are cuttings, quarries and secondary landscapes, provided these are not too degraded and dried out.

Danger

It is estimated that the population has decreased by more than 50% in the last 10 years. The reasons for the considerable decline in stocks are currently unclear. Chytrid fungi have been detected in the distribution area of Oedipina poelzi , but it is not certain whether chytridiomycosis is responsible for the decline in the population. The species is threatened by habitat loss from small-scale farming and animal husbandry, timber collection, and human habitation. Part of its habitat could be inundated by the construction of a dam. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) classifies the species as endangered (EN, Endangered) due to the considerable decline in populations, the fragmented distribution area and the loss of habitat.

protection

The species occurs in the Monteverde Biological Reserve and in the Braulio Carrillo National Park ; population monitoring is advisable to conserve the species.

literature

  • Jay M. Savage: The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica. , University of Chicago Press, 2002, ISBN 978-0226735375 , p. 155.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Arden Howell Brame : A new Costa Rican salamander (genus Oedipina) with a re-examination of O. collaris and O. serpens . Contributions in Science, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 65, pp. 1–12, 1963 (first description)

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