Title
Notes on the distribution and abundance of the caecilian Boulengerula uluguruensis (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae) in the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania
Author(s)
Measey G.J., Mejissa J., Muller H.
Published
2006
Publisher
African Journal of Ecology
Abstract
Boulengerula uluguruensis is a terrestrial caeciliid caecilian described from the Uluguru Mountains of Tanzania. We investigated the relative abundance of B. uluguruensis in agricultural and forested habitats at the beginning of the rainy season. This caecilian was found over a wide altitudinal range (450-1175 m a.s.l.), and in many land cover types (including natural forest, plantation forest and small scale agriculture), and different soil textures (including very compact soil). Based on quantitative and semi-quantitative surveys, B. uluguruensis is more abundant than any other subterranean lower vertebrate in this area, with densities up to 0.4 individuals m-2 in some agricultural plots. The hypothesis proposed, that B. uluguruensis is more abundant in agriculture than their native forest, could not be conclusively tested during this brief visit, although the data that were collected do not indicate to the contrary. Likewise, the size of animals from forest and agricultural populations could not be objectively compared. © 2006 East African Wild Life Society.
Keywords
amphibian; habitat selection; habitat type; land cover; population density; Africa; East Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Tanzania; Uluguru Mountains; Amphibia; Animalia; Boulengerula; Boulengerula uluguruensis; Caecilia; Caeciliidae (amphibia); Gymnophiona; Vertebrata; GEGENEOPHIS-RAMASWAMII AMPHIBIA; SOUTHERN INDIA; TAITANUS; DIET
Access Full Text
A full-text copy of this article may be available. Please email the WCS Library to request.
![]()
Back
PUB12256