The Worm Salamander lives in the humid lowland forest and on the mangrove forests of the island, near sea level.
We only know these species exist because of eight adults and two clutches of eggs that were found in coconut litter and moist places while searching the island. They were collected in March 1991. So far, this species has not been found anywhere else, which would make it the only tropical salamander endemic to an island.
They can reach lengths of about 20cm and they are part of the lungless salamander family, this means that, instead of having lungs,they breathe through their skin. The worm Salamander has a vertical groove between it's nostrils and its lips, which helps it to carry different smells from the ground into its nose.
Its main threat is habitat loss as the trees in the mangrove forests are being cut down, thus reducing their habitat.
More Info:
ICUN Red List Worm Salamander.
AmphibiaWeb.org
Newt, Salamander, Or Both?
Other Worm Salamanders:
Oedipina Tomasi
Oedipina Carablanca
Oedipina Gracilis
Note: The picture displayed above is that of one of the close cousins of the Oedipina Maritime, seeing as the species are so rare, there are no actual images available.
We only know these species exist because of eight adults and two clutches of eggs that were found in coconut litter and moist places while searching the island. They were collected in March 1991. So far, this species has not been found anywhere else, which would make it the only tropical salamander endemic to an island.
They can reach lengths of about 20cm and they are part of the lungless salamander family, this means that, instead of having lungs,they breathe through their skin. The worm Salamander has a vertical groove between it's nostrils and its lips, which helps it to carry different smells from the ground into its nose.
Its main threat is habitat loss as the trees in the mangrove forests are being cut down, thus reducing their habitat.
More Info:
ICUN Red List Worm Salamander.
AmphibiaWeb.org
Newt, Salamander, Or Both?
Other Worm Salamanders:
Oedipina Tomasi
Oedipina Carablanca
Oedipina Gracilis
Note: The picture displayed above is that of one of the close cousins of the Oedipina Maritime, seeing as the species are so rare, there are no actual images available.