Boulengerula niedeni
Encyclopedia
The Sagala Caecilian
(Boulengerula niedeni) is a worm-like amphibian
first described in 2005. The species was described from a specimen discovered on Sagala Hill, an isolated mountain block of the Taita Hills
in Kenya
. Because of the small range of this species, it listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It has been listed as one of the top-10 "focal species" in 2008 by the Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered
(EDGE) project.
Caecilian
The caecilians are an order of amphibians that superficially resemble earthworms or snakes. They mostly live hidden in the ground, making them the least familiar order of amphibians. All extant caecilians and their closest fossil relatives are grouped as the clade Apoda. They are mostly...
(Boulengerula niedeni) is a worm-like amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
first described in 2005. The species was described from a specimen discovered on Sagala Hill, an isolated mountain block of the Taita Hills
Taita Hills
The Taita Hills, sometimes also spelled as Teita Hills, are a precambrian mountain range in the south-west of Kenya in Taita-Taveta District. The hills consist of three massifs namely Dabida, Sagalla in the southern side of Voi township and Kasigau in the south near the border of Tanzania...
in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Because of the small range of this species, it listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It has been listed as one of the top-10 "focal species" in 2008 by the Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered
EDGE Species
Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered species represent a disproportionate amount of unique evolutionary history. They have few close relatives and are often extremely unusual in the way they look, live and behave...
(EDGE) project.