Kingdom Animalia Order Gymnophiona Genus Boulengerula Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Family Caeciliidae Higher classification Boulengerula | |
Scientific name Boulengerula changamwensis Similar Boulengerula, Caecilian, Amphibians, Caeciliidae | ||
The Changamwe caecilian, Boulengerula changamwensis, is a species of amphibian in the Caeciliidae family. It is also known as Changamwensis African caecilian and Changamwe lowland caecilian. It is found in southern Kenya (Changamwe and the Shimba Hills) and Malawi, and possibly in the intervening Tanzania and Mozambique.
It is known from 10-20 specimens found in the Shimba Hills and three specimens were recorded in April 2012. According to June 2012 research, it burrows and prefers forested areas and will rarely be seen outside forests. In August 2012, it was also found in agricultural areas within stream valleys in plantations for coconut palms, bananas and cashew nuts. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, rural gardens, and heavily degraded former forest.
It is threatened by habitat loss for deforestation and collecting of firewood, agriculture and farming, herbicides and pesticides and expanding human settlement. It is protected by the Shimba Hills and parts of Shire Highlands but its protection in Kaya Forest may also be threatened by the deforestation and collecting of firewood. In 2012, the IUCN changed the status from Data Deficient to Endangered because it had a range of 990 km2 and was only known from three or four localities which have threats.