Crotaphatrema tchabalmbaboensis

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Crotaphatrema tchabalmbaboensis
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Clade: Gymnophiona
Order: Apoda
Family: Scolecomorphidae
Genus: Crotaphatrema
Species:
C. tchabalmbaboensis
Binomial name
Crotaphatrema tchabalmbaboensis
Lawson, 2000 [2]

Crotaphatrema tchabalmbaboensis is a species of caecilian in the family Scolecomorphidae, the tropical or African caecilians. It was discovered in 1997 on Mount Tchabal Mbabo in the Adamawa Plateau, western Cameroon, and described as a new species to science in 2000. [2] [3] Three specimens were collected at the type locality, and no individuals have been observed since. [1]

Caecilian Order of amphibians

Caecilians are a group of limbless, serpentine amphibians. They mostly live hidden in the ground and in stream substrates, making them the least familiar order of amphibians. All modern caecilians and their closest fossil relatives are grouped as a clade, Apoda, within the larger group Gymnophiona, which also includes more primitive extinct caecilian-like amphibians. Caecilians are mostly distributed in the tropics of South and Central America, Africa, and southern Asia. Their diet consists of small subterranean creatures such as earthworms.

The Scolecomorphidae are the family of caecilians, also known as tropical caecilians, buried-eyed caecilians, or African caecilians. They are found in Cameroon in West Africa, and Malawi and Tanzania in East Africa. Caecilians are legless amphibians which superficially resemble worms or snakes.

Adamawa Plateau plateau in Africa

The Adamawa Plateau is a plateau region in central Africa stretching from south-eastern Nigeria through north-central Cameroon to the Central African Republic. The plateau was named after Fulani Muslim leader Modibo Adama. The part of the plateau that lies in Nigeria is more popularly known as Gotel Mountains. The Adamawa Plateau is the source of many waterways, including the Benue River. It is important for its deposits of bauxite. The average elevation is about 3,300 feet, but elevations can reach as high as 8,700 feet. The vegetation is mostly savanna, and is sparsely populated. Cattle raising is the main occupation in the area.

Contents

Description

This caecilian, the third species in the genus Crotaphatrema , is differentiated from the others by size, body shape, color pattern, and the lack of grooves on its collars. [2]

The type series consists of two adult females measuring 298 and 338 mm (11.7 and 13.3 in) in total length, and a subadult female measuring 278 mm (10.9 in). The body width is 8–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in). The eyes are not visible externally. The dorsum is blue- black and the venter is cream. The border between the dorsal and ventral coloration has a serrated pattern. [2]

Habitat and conservation

The species is known only from the northern face of one mountain, where it was collected from forests on steep, sloping terrain at 1,950–2,000 m (6,400–6,560 ft) above sea level. It is not known if it can survive in the surrounding heavily grazed pastureland. Mount Tchabal Mbabo has been proposed as a national park, which provide protection for the species' forest habitat. [1]

Cameroon physical map.svg
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Crotaphatrema tchabalmbaboensis is only known from Mount Tchabal Mbabo, Cameroon

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References

  1. 1 2 3 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2014). "Crotaphatrema tchabalmbaboensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014: e.T59650A16957380. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T59650A16957380.en.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lawson, Dwight P. (2000). "A new caecilian from Cameroon, Africa (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Scolecomorphidae)". Herpetologica. 56 (1): 77–80. JSTOR   3893129.
  3. ↑ Frost, Darrel R. (2018). "Crotaphatrema tchabalmbaboensis Lawson, 2000". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
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