''Dermophis costaricense'' is a species of

caecilian Caecilians (; ) are a group of limbless, vermiform or serpentine amphibians. They mostly live hidden in the ground and in stream substrates, making them the least familiar order of amphibians. Caecilians are mostly distributed in the tropics o ...

in the family

Dermophiidae The Dermophiidae are a family of common caecilians. They are found in Central and South America, and Africa. Like other caecilian Caecilians (; ) are a group of limbless, vermiform or serpentine amphibians. They mostly live hidden in the ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to Costa Rica and is found on the Atlantic versant of

Cordillera de Tilarán Costa Rica is located on the Central American Isthmus, surrounding the point 10° north of the equator and 84° west of the prime meridian. It has 212 km of Caribbean Sea coastline and 1,016 on the North Pacific Ocean. The area is 51,100& ...

, Cordillera Central, and

Cordillera de Talamanca The Cordillera de Talamanca is a mountain range that lies in the southeast half of Costa Rica and the far west of Panama. Much of the range and the area around it is included in La Amistad International Park, which also is shared between the two ...

. Its taxonomic status is in need of a review.

Description

''Dermophis costaricense'' is a moderate-sized species: total length is . It is characterized by high numbers of both primary (107–117) and secondary annuli (74–96). The annuli are not darkly demarcated ventrally, as seen in ''

Dermophis mexicanus ''Dermophis mexicanus'', also known commonly as the Mexican burrowing caecilian or the Mexican caecilian, and locally as the tapalcua or tepelcua, is a species of limbless amphibian in the family Dermophiidae. The species is native to Mexico and ...

'', which is also a larger species. ''D. costaricense'' appears to be closely related with '' Dermophis gracilior'' from the Pacific versant of Costa Rica, and it is possible that these two species turn out to be the same species. However, as presently known, their ranges do not overlap and they can be distinguished based on the total number of annuli (higher in ''D. costaricense'').

Habitat and conservation

''Dermophis costaricense'' occurs in premontane rainforests at elevations of above sea level. It is a subterranean species that is often found under logs or in surface debris. It is

viviparous Among animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. This is opposed to oviparity which is a reproductive mode in which females lay developing eggs that complete their development and hatch externally from the ...

. Because of its subterranean lifestyle, ''D. costaricense'' is a rarely seen species.

Deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated ...

might be a threat but to what extent is unknown. It is present in the

Braulio Carrillo Braulio Evaristo Carrillo Colina (March 20, 1800, Cartago, Costa Rica – May 15, 1845) was the Head of State of Costa Rica (the title as it was known before the reform of 1848) during two periods: the first between 1835 and 1837, and the de ...

and

Tapantí National Park Tapantí - Cerro de la Muerte Massif National Park, ( es, Parque Nacional Tapantí - Macizo Cerro de la Muerte), is a National Park in the Central Conservation Area of Costa Rica located on the edge of the Talamanca Range, near Cartago. It prote ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1942205 costaricense Amphibians of Costa Rica Endemic fauna of Costa Rica Taxa named by Edward Harrison Taylor Amphibians described in 1955 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot