Airstrip caecilia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Airstrip caecilia |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Oscaecilia
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| Species: |
osae
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Oscaecilia osae is a special kind of animal called a caecilian. Caecilians are amphibians, like frogs and salamanders, but they don't have legs and look a bit like worms or snakes. This specific caecilian belongs to the family Caeciliidae.
It lives only in one place: Costa Rica. You can find it in the Golfo Dulce area, which is on the Pacific Ocean side of Costa Rica. The name osae comes from the Osa Peninsula, where the first one was found near an airstrip. Because of this, it's also known as the airstrip caecilia or airstrip caecilian.
What Does It Look Like?
The very first Oscaecilia osae that scientists studied was an adult female. This first specimen is called the holotype. She was about 382 mm (15.0 in) long from head to tail. That's about 15 inches!
Her body is very thin and long. It's only about 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide. This caecilian doesn't have eyes that you can see.
Its body has many rings, like segments, which are called annuli. This caecilian has a lot of these rings, about 232 of them. It doesn't have a second set of smaller rings. It also has tiny scales, which start appearing around the 175th ring.
The Oscaecilia osae is usually a uniform lavender color. It looks a bit lighter near its head and on its belly. This color comes from many tiny, pinkish-cream spots on a darker background. When these spots are very close together, especially on its head and belly, they make those areas look more pink.
Where It Lives and How We Protect It
The Oscaecilia osae is a species that lives underground. It prefers to live in lowland rainforests, in areas that are less than 240 m (790 ft) above sea level.
Scientists don't think there are big threats to this caecilian right now. However, we don't know a lot about where it lives exactly or how it behaves. Luckily, a good part of its home is protected by the Corcovado National Park. This park helps keep its habitat safe.
See also
In Spanish: Oscaecilia osae para niños
