Taita african caecilian, Taita hills caecilian, Taita mountains caecilian
Boulengerula taitana (common names: Taita African caecilian, Taita Hills caecilian, Taita Mountains caecilian) is a species of caecilian. It is endemic to the Taita Hills region of southeast Kenya.
An omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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Generally, Boulengerula are believed to be predators of soil macrofauna. The large proportion of decaying plant material and unidentifiable organic matter in guts of Boulengerula taitana has led to a suggestion that it is an omnivore or detritivore. However, the organic matter and soil in their diet seems to originate from prey items such as earthworms. Other important dietary items are termites, dipteran larvae and other soil macrofauna.
Boulengerula taitana is an egg-laying burrowing caecilian. Because young specimens do not have the same tooth structure as adults, Boulengerula taitana has developed a strange habit. Once the young have hatched, the mother develops a thick, nutritious skin which the young eat. This does not appear to harm the adult. This behaviour is also found in its South American relative Siphonops annulatus.
The skin-feeding behavior of the young was captured on film for the BBC series Life in Cold Blood (released in 2008).
