Schistometopum thomense

Schistometopum thomense
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Gymnophiona
Clade: Apoda
Family: Dermophiidae
Genus: Schistometopum
Species:
S. thomense
Binomial name
Schistometopum thomense
(Bocage, 1873)
range

Schistometopum thomense is a species of amphibian in the family Dermophiidae, endemic to São Tomé and Ilhéu das Rolas.[1] This species may be referred to as the São Tomé caecilian (with various spellings of the island's name), as the Agua Ize caecilian, or as the island caecilian,[2] or by the local name of cobra bobo.[3] It is found in most soils on São Tomé, from tropical moist lowland forests to coastal coconut plantations. It is absent only from the driest northern areas of the island.[1]

São Tomé caecilian

It is typically around 30 cm (12 in) in length, and is often bright yellow.[4] The size of S. thomense can vary throughout São Tomé, however, and it is the only known caecilian to follow Bergmann's rule, which states that a decreasing temperature due to factors such as increasing altitude will cause an increase in the body size of endothermic vertebrate species. The island of São Tomé is a massive shield volcano, and it therefore has differing altitudes throughout the island, potentially resulting in the size diversity of S. thomense. [5]

  1. ^ a b c IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2020). "Schistometopum thomense". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T59592A16958403. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T59592A16958403.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference amnh was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Species of the week: Cobra Bobo
  4. ^ Kingdon, Jonathan (1989). Island Africa: The Evolution of Africa's Rare Plants and Animals. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. pp. 39. ISBN 0-691-08560-9.
  5. ^ Measey, John; Van Dongen, Stefan (2006). "Bergmann's rule and the terrestrial caecilian Schistometopum thomense (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae)" (PDF). Evolutionary Ecology Research. 8: 1049–1059.