Savage's earth snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Savage's earth snake |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Geophis |
| Species: |
G. downsi
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| Binomial name | |
| Geophis downsi Savage, 1981
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The Geophis downsi, also known as the Savage's earth snake, is a type of snake. It belongs to a large group of snakes called the colubrid family. This snake is special because it is only found in one place: Costa Rica. When an animal or plant is only found in one specific area, we say it is endemic to that place.
The Savage's earth snake is only known from one spot in Costa Rica. This spot is called the Las Cruces Biological Station, located in the Puntarenas Province. This specific place is also known as its "type locality." A type locality is the exact place where the first example of a new species was found and described by scientists. This snake was named after a person named Floyd Leslie Downs.
About the Savage's Earth Snake
This snake is very rare. So far, scientists have only found one single snake of this kind. This one snake was discovered hiding under leaf litter in a type of forest called a premontane rainforest. Premontane rainforests are found on the sides of mountains, usually at medium heights.
Why is it so rare?
Scientists have tried to find more Savage's earth snakes. Between 2010 and 2012, they did a special study looking for animals that live in leaf litter in the same area. Even with all their searching, they did not find any more of these snakes. This shows how hard it is to find them!
Protecting the Snake
Even though it is very rare, there are no big dangers known for the Savage's earth snake right now. The only known snake was found inside a private nature reserve. This means the area where it lives is protected, which is good news for this unique snake.
See also
In Spanish: Geophis downsi para niños
 | James Van Der Zee |
 | Alma Thomas |
 | Ellis Wilson |
 | Margaret Taylor-Burroughs |
