A new species of Boulengerula Tornier (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae) from an isolated mountain block of the Taita Hills, Kenya

Abstract

A new species of East African caeciliid caecilian, Boulengerula niedeni spec. nov. (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) is described based on a series of 11 specimens from Sagalla Hill, an isolated mountain block of the Taita Hills in southern Kenya. It differs from all other Boulengerula, except B. taitanus (Loveridge), in being pigmented with whitish marked annular grooves and from B. taitanus by its distinctive brownish colouration, an exposed sphenethmoid, a higher mean number of annuli and vertebrae, and different phallus morphology.

Sequential Fragmentation of Pleistocene Forests in an East Africa Biodiversity Hotspot: Chameleons as a Model to Track Forest History

“…1A), yet different species of Kinyongia are found on these mountains [43]. The pattern is similar to that of caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) which occur on all four isolates of the Taita Hills [50], [51] but the lineage from Sagalla is a sister species to that on Dawida, Mbololo and Kasigau [18], [33].…”

“…The EAM qualify as a biodiversity hotspot as they exhibit excessive endemism with highly nested distribution patterns [8] , in addition they have been recognised as being in need of concerted conservation efforts [12] , [13] . Large montane blocks have been the traditional focus of surveys and conservation priorities within the EAM [14] , but increasing surveys into smaller isolates continue to discover restricted endemic species, even when these are close to well surveyed areas [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] demonstrating the importance of even the smallest forested isolates. East Africa has also been the subject of numerous paleo-climatic studies, as past climate change has been linked with the advancement of early hominid lineages, revealing multiple wet-dry cycles as a result of Milankovitch climate forcing [19] .…”

Why colour in subterranean vertebrates? Exploring the evolution of colour patterns in caecilian amphibians

“…, 2003; Vyas, 2003; Wilkinson et al. , 2003; Müller et al. , 2005; Exbrayat, 2006b; Measey, 2006; G. John Measey, personal observation).…”

“…We compiled information on caecilian colour and pattern characteristics from the literature, including original descriptions, as well as colour pictures and observations of live caecilians (Barbour & Loveridge, 1928;Taylor, 1968;Nussbaum & Wilkinson, 1987;Nussbaum & Hinkel, 1994;Junqueira et al, 1999;Exbrayat, 2000;Lawson, 2000;Giri et al, 2003;Leong & Lim, 2003;Ravichandran et al, 2003;Vyas, 2003;Wilkinson et al, 2003;Mü ller et al, 2005;Exbrayat, 2006b;Measey, 2006;G. John Measey, personal observation).…”

Kilima-Mrota is not A Worm: The Effect of Conservation Education and a Local Naming Contest on the Perspectives Held by the Peoples of Sagalla Hill, Kenya Toward the Sagalla Caecilian Boulengerula Niedeni

“…This study concerns one aspect of the conservation efforts of the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) to increase awareness and protection for the recently described Sagalla caecilian Boulengerula niedeni Müller, Measey, Loader & Malonza, 2005, a fossorial amphibian known only from elevations between 1000-1500 m on Sagalla Hill, just south of Voi town in the Taita Hills of south-eastern Kenya (Müller et al, 2005;Malonza, 2008). The Taita Hills are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, and are recognized as a biodiversity hotspot by Conservation International (Myers et al, 2000).…”