The Nyingwa Caecilian (also known as the Uluguru black caecilian) has a very distinct breeding behaviour which is rare for amphibians.
Normally amphibians will lay eggs which then hatch externally. However, this species is viviparous, meaning that adults will give birth to live young and the process of reproduction does not depend on water bodies at all! This species was once locally abundant in the past, but it is likely to suffer from habitat disturbances. Deforestation and agricultural intensification, including the application of agricultural herbicides and pesticides, could also have an impact on soil moisture and temperature maintained by vegetation that is important for this species. This species does occur in the protected Uluguru Nature Reserve, but small-holder agriculture is encroaching on the protected forest. Increased protection of this reserve and possibly the rest of the species’ habitat are required.
Order: Gymnophiona
Family: Scolecomorphidae
Population: Previously locally abundant
Trend:unknown
Size: 146-330mm
EDGE Score
EDGE Score: 5.94 (?)
ED Score: 46.64 (?)
GE / IUCN Red List(?)
NENot EvaluatedDDData DeficientLCLeast ConcernNTNear ThreatenedVUVulnerableENEndangeredCRCritically EndangeredEWExtinct in the WildEXExtinct
Distribution
This species is known from the Uluguru Mountains of Tanzania, between the altitudes of 1,800-2,500 metres above sea level.
Habitat and Ecology
This is a soil-dwelling species found in montane forests and it probably survives in secondary habitat such as small-holder agricultural allotments.
This wordcloud illustrates the threats facing this species. The size of each word indicates the extent of a species range that is affected by that threat (larger size means a greater area is affected). The colour of the word indicates how much that threat impacts the species (darker shades of red mean the threat is more severe).
The EDGE score is used to prioritise EDGE species for conservation attention. Within a group of species, higher values mean that the species is a higher priority. The score is calculated by combining the ED and GE scores given below. The black line on the EDGE bar shows the mean EDGE score for all species in this taxonomic group, so you can see how high this species’ EDGE score is compared to the rest of the group.
ED is the Evolutionary Distinctiveness of this species, measured in millions of years. This number represents the unique evolutionary history surviving in this species. The black line on the ED bar shows the median ED score for all species in this taxonomic group, so you can see how high this species’ ED score is within compared to the rest of the group.
The Global Endangerment (GE) or IUCN Red List category, describes how close this species is to becoming extinct. Species that are Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered are considered to be at significant risk of extinction.