Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Classis: Amphibia
Subclassis: Lissamphibia
Ordo: Gymnophiona
Familia: Caeciliidae
Subfamilia: Caeciliinae
Genus: Sylvacaecilia
Species: S. grandisonae
Name
Sylvacaecilia Wake, 1987
Type species: Geotrypetes grandisonae Taylor, 1970
References
Wake, 1987, J. Herpetol., 21: 6.
Amphibian Species of the World 5.2 Sylvacaecilia access date 13 August 2008
Vernacular names
English: Aleku Caecilians
Sylvacaecilia is a monotypic genus of caecilian.[5][6] The only species is Sylvacaecilia grandisonae, also known as the Aleku caecilian or Ethiopian caecilian. It is endemic to southwestern Ethiopia and known from the Gambela, Oromia, and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Regions.[1][4]
Taxonomy
Sylvacaecilia grandisonae was described by Edward Harrison Taylor in 1970 as Geotrypetes grandisonae, although he noted that the generic assignment was provisional.[3] Because of significant differences in morphology and life history in comparison to other Geotrypetes species, it was moved to its own, monotypic genus Sylvacaecilia by Marvalee Wake in 1987.[2]
Etymology
The generic name Sylvacaecilia is derived from Greek sylva, referring to the forest habitat of these animals, and Latin caecilia, in reference to the taxon.[2] The specific name grandisonae honours Miss Alice G. C. Grandison, a Curator of Herpetology at Natural History Museum, London[7] and whom Taylor acknowledges as having been "helpful in providing these specimens for study".[3]
Description
Sylvacaecilia grandisonae was described based on two specimens, the female holotype measuring 259 mm (10.2 in) in total length, and the male paratype measuring 231 mm (9.1 in) in total length. The body is relatively thick, with body width in length approximately 24 times.[3]
Sylvacaecilia grandisonae has free-living larval stage.[2]
Habitat and conservation
Its natural habitats are tropical deciduous forests at elevations of 1,500–2,200 m (4,900–7,200 ft) above sea level. Adults live in soil or mud and under leaf-litter. Larvae have been found in very wet mud at the edge of a stream. No major threats are known, although habitat disturbance could still be an issue. It occurs in the Kafa Biosphere Reserve.[1]
References
IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2016). "Sylvacaecilia grandisonae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T59598A16944802. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T59598A16944802.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
Wake, Marvalee H. (1987). "A New Genus of African Caecilian (Amphibia: Gymnophiona)". Journal of Herpetology. 21 (1): 6–15. doi:10.2307/1564371. JSTOR 1564371.
Taylor, Edward Harrison (1970). "A new caecilian from Ethiopia". University of Kansas Science Bulletin. 48: 849–854. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.28904.
Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Sylvacaecilia grandisonae (Taylor, 1970)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Sylvacaecilia Wake, 1987". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
"Indotyphlidae". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. p. 139. ISBN 978-1-907807-42-8.
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