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| Oedipina berlini Kubicki, 2016 |
Abstract
I describe a new salamander of the genus Oedipina, subgenus Oedopinola, from two sites in Premontane Rainforest along the foothills of the central Caribbean region of Costa Rica, at elevations from 540 to 850 m. The type locality lies within the Guayacán Rainforest Reserve, a private reserve owned and operated by the Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center, located approximately 2 km north of Guayacán de Siquirres, in the province of Limón. The new taxon is distinguished from its congeners based on phenotypic and molecular (16S and cyt b) characteristics. Additionally, I describe and illustrate a standardized method for taking morphological measurements on bolitoglossine salamanders.
Key Words: Amphibia, Central America, Guayacán, morphometrics, Oedopinola
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| With the discovery of a new species of Oedipina from the foothills along the Caribbean versant of Costa Rica, the number of species of salamanders in the country has risen to 51. When compared to other countries, this diversity of salamanders places Costa Rica 5th among all countries on the planet, behind the United States (1st), Mexico (2nd), China (3rd), and Guatemala (4th). When considering countries with an area greater than 5,000 sq.km. , the highest diversity density of salamanders is found in the small country of Costa Rica, with one species/1,000 sq.km.
photo: Brian Kubicki CRAmphibian.com
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Etymology: The specific epithet is a patronym honoring Mr. Erick Berlin, a naturalist native to the United States but living in Costa Rica since 1972, and who has a deep passion for the conservation of nature in the central Caribbean region of Costa Rica, especially along the northeastern slopes of Volcán Turrialba. Erick has been a close friend for many years, and during this time has supported and encouraged my research and conservation efforts with Costa Rican amphibians. I am extremely grateful for his friendship and encouragement.
Habitat and natural history observations: Oedipina berlini has been found within leaf litter in young secondary to old-growth forest with varying topography. This species is known from five individuals, so a detailed accounting of its natural history cannot be presented here.
Brian Kubicki. 2016. A New Species of Salamander (Caudata: Plethodontidae: Oedipina) from the central Caribbean Foothills of Costa Rica. Mesoamerican Herpetology. 3: 819–840.
Resumen: Describo una nueva salamandra perteneciente al género Oedipina, subgénero Oedopinola, de dos sitios de Bosque Premontano Lluvioso en las zonas montañosas del Caribe central de Costa Rica, entre los 540 a 850 m de altura. La localidad tipo se encuentra dentro de la Reserva del Bosque Lluvioso de Guayacán (Guayacán Rainforest Reserve), una reserva privada que pertenece y es operada por el Centro de Investigacíon de Anfibios de Costa Rica (Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center), ubicada aproximadamente a 2 km al norte de Guayacán de Siquirres, en la provincia de Limón. Este nuevo taxón se distingue de sus congéneres basándose en características fenotípicas y moleculares (16S y cyt b). Además, describo e ilustro un método estandarizado para tomar medidas morfológicas en las salamandras bolitoglossinas.
Palabras Claves: Amphibia, Centroamérica, Guayacán, morfometría, Oedopinola
