Californiulus yosemitensis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Californiulus yosemitensis |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Subphylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: |
Julida
|
| Family: | |
| Genus: |
Californiulus
|
| Species: |
C. yosemitensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Californiulus yosemitensis Chamberlin, 1941
|
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Klansolus monoensis |
|
The Californiulus yosemitensis is a type of millipede that looks like a cylinder. It belongs to the family Paeromopodidae. You can find this millipede in western North America. It mostly lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. But it also lives in parts of southeastern Oregon and Nevada.
What Does It Look Like?
These millipedes can grow up to 11 centimeters (about 4 inches) long. They can have as many as 80 body segments!
They have a striking look. Their main body color is black. But they also have a wide yellow or orange stripe along their back. This stripe runs from their first body segment (called the collum) all the way to their tail (the telson). Right down the middle of this colorful stripe is a bold black line.
On each side of their head, they have groups of simple eyes, called ocelli. Each group has four rows of these eyes.
Where Does It Live?
The C. yosemitensis lives in many places. You can find it from the very southwest part of Oregon down to Kern County, California. It lives in mountain ranges like the Warner Mountains, the Cascade Range, and the Sierra Nevada.
This millipede is the most common species in its group, Californiulus. It is found all over its natural home range.
How Does It Live?
You can often find C. yosemitensis under logs. They usually prefer places that are a bit dry. But sometimes, they can also be found in moist areas.
In some parts of Yosemite National Park, C. yosemitensis lives alongside another millipede. This other millipede is called Paeromopus paniculus. It is a larger member of the same family, Paeromopodidae.
Who Discovered It?
The C. yosemitensis was first described by a biologist named Ralph Vary Chamberlin. He officially named it in 1941.
The very first specimen used to describe the species is called the holotype. It was collected in Yosemite in 1931. This important specimen is now kept at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C..
Later, Chamberlin described two other species. He called them Klansolus mononus and K. obscurans. But scientists later found out that these were actually the same species as C. yosemitensis. So, they became known as taxonomic synonyms of C. yosemitensis.
