January 7, 2008
Related ArticlesCosta Rican Rainforest Harbors Unknown Salamander Species
Scientists discovered three new species of salamanders during recent expeditions to Costa Rica, including one dwarf species no longer than a thumbnail. Researchers found the salamanders as they catalogued more than 5000 species in the forested border between Panama and Costa Rica.
A team of scientists from the London Natural History Museum discovered the salamanders over the course of three trips to La Amistad National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as a “paradise” of incredible biodiversity. La Amistad, a rainforest in the hilly terrain of the Costa Rica-Panama border, is barely touched by humankind. This factor, along with its remoteness and tropical climate, has allowed thousands of species to evolve and survive in an age when so many habitats and ecosystems are suffering from degradation, pollution, and the harvest of natural resources.
All three salamander species use specialized tongues to catch their food, explained Dr. Alex Monro, team leader and botanist at the London museum. “The salamanders we found are incredibly slow,” he said. “It’s baffling that they survive. But they have this incredible tongue. It’s called a ballistic tongue—it shoots out at incredible speed with great accuracy.” The tongue can extend, grab a prey item, and retract into the mouth in less than 1/100th of a second.
Dr. Monro and his colleagues plan on going back to La Amistad to continue their project, which aims to assess biodiversity in the park while it is still pristine and untouched. In addition to the salamanders, two new frog species and six new plants were catalogued. “Finding so many new species in one area is exciting, particularly as this is probably the only place in the world you can find these animals. It shows that we still have a lot to learn about the variety of wildlife in this region. We have four more expeditions planned this year —who knows what we could find when we go back?”