Exploration into the hidden world of Mozambique's sky island forests: new discoveries of reptiles and amphibians
Author
Conradie, Werner
Port Elizabeth Museum (Bayworld), P. O. Box 13147, Humewood 6013, South Africa & South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, P / Bag 1015, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
werner@bayworld.co.za
Author
Bittencourt-Silva, Gabriela B.
University of Basel, Biogeography Research Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Basel 4056, Switzerland
Author
Engelbrecht, Hanlie M.
South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X 7, Claremont, 7735, South Africa & Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Author
Loader, Simon P.
University of Roehampton, Department of Life Sciences, London, SW 15 4 JD, United Kingdom
Author
Menegon, Michele
MUSE, Museo delle Scienze, Viale del Lavoro e delle Scienza, 3 Trento 38122, Italy
Author
Nanvonamuquitxo, Cristovao
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Lurio University, Pemba, 958, Mozambique
Author
Scott, Michael
Khangela Safaris, www. khangelasafaris. com, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Author
Tolley, Krystal A.
South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X 7, Claremont, 7735, South Africa & Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, Stellenbosch, South Africa
text
Zoosystematics and Evolution
2016
2016-09-26
92
2
163
180
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zse.92.9948
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zse.92.9948
1860-0743-2-163
9DA068DAB881409199FE252D31DDC7D1
FFCC824A3E5F060CFFF2FF83B964FFD2
155320
Scolecomorphus cf. kirkii Boulenger, 1883
Material
Mt. Mabu
(PEM
A11248
)
.
Comments
A single specimen was found under a log in the closed canopy forest of Mt. Mabu after 36 hours of heavy rain (Fig.
3H
). The specimen (probably a young female) measures 210 mm total length, 6.3 mm body width and has 142 primary annuli. The olive-brown dorsal colouration of the preserved specimen is dorsally restricted and the venter is light yellowish (pinkish in life), agreeing with the description of
Nussbaum (1985)
. This new record represents the southernmost distribution of
Scolecomorphus kirkii
, and for all African caecilians.
Branch (2004)
reported the first ever caecilian record for Mozambique from dry transitional miombo vegetation at the edge of Serra Mecula, while
Farooq and Conradie (2015)
recorded a second record from Mt. Namuli.