Oedipina alfaroi

Oedipina alfaroi is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is found in the Caribbean versant of eastern Costa Rica (Limón Province) and northwestern Panama (Bocas del Toro Province).[1][3] It is commonly known as the Limon worm salamander.[3]

Oedipina alfaroi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Genus: Oedipina
Species:
O. alfaroi
Binomial name
Oedipina alfaroi
Dunn, 1921[2]
Synonyms[3]
  • Oedipus alfaroi (Dunn, 1921)

Etymology

The specific name alfaroi honors Anastasio Alfaro from the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica.[2]

Description

Oedipina alfaroi was described based on two specimens, adult females measuring 51 and 53 mm (2.0 and 2.1 in) in snout–vent length and 132 and 104 mm (5.2 and 4.1 in) in total length, respectively (the latter individual had injured tail, hence the lower total length). The head is pointed and the eyes are relatively small. Maxillary teeth are absent. Body is dark or purplish brown above and grayish below.[2]

Habitat and conservation

Its natural habitats are humid lowland forests at elevations of 20–850 m (66–2,789 ft) above sea level, but it can also occur in old banana plantations. It lives in the leaf litter. This uncommon species is threatened by habitat loss as it does not tolerate opening up of its forest habitat. It occurs in the Palo Seco Forest Reserve (Panama).[1]

References
  1. Frank Solís; Roberto Ibáñez; Jay Savage; David Wake; Gerardo Chaves; Federico Bolaños (2010). "Oedipina alfaroi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T59305A11910530. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-2.RLTS.T59305A11910530.en.
  2. Dunn, E. R. (1921). "Two new Central American salamanders". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 34: 143–145.
  3. Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Oedipina alfaroi Dunn, 1921". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
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