Boulengerula spawlsi
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| Boulengerula spawlsi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Gymnophiona |
| Clade: | Apoda |
| Family: | Herpelidae |
| Genus: | Boulengerula |
| Species: | B. spawlsi |
| Binomial name | |
| Boulengerula spawlsi | |
Boulengerula spawlsi is a species of caecilian in the family Herpelidae.[3][4][5] It is endemic to Kenya and only know from the vicinity of its type locality, Ngaia Forest Reserve, in the Nyambene Hills, Meru County;[3] the type locality is also spelled "Ngaya" or "Ngaja". The specific name spawlsi honours Stephen Spawls who first collected this species and who has contributed substantially to African herpetology.[2] Common name Spawls' boolee has been coined for it.[2][3][4]
The first specimen was collected in the Nyambene Hills in 2007 and was considered most similar to Boulengerula denhardti.[2] Additional specimens were found in 2008 and tentatively identified as Boulengerula denhardti.[6] However, closer examination of these specimens, new specimens from the Nyambene Hills, and comparative material from museums revealed that these specimens represented a new species, which was formally described in 2017.[2]