Mahe Caecilian
CR

Mahe Caecilian

Hypogeophis brevis

Unknown

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

Hypogeophis brevis is a species of caecilian formerly included in the genus Grandisonia and found on the islands of Mahé and Silhouette in the Seychelles. It is known only from two specimens collected on Mahé in 1910 and more collected recently from Silhouette.

Hypogeophis brevis faces severe threats from habitat destruction as Seychelles' native forests are cleared for development and agriculture. The species' extremely limited range on Mahé and Silhouette islands makes it particularly vulnerable to any habitat disturbance. Invasive plant species are degrading the soil ecosystem quality that these fossorial caecilians depend upon for survival.

Threat summary

Habitat

This fossorial caecilian inhabits the leaf litter and upper soil layers of native forests on the granitic islands of Mahé and Silhouette in the Seychelles. It requires moist, well-structured soils with high organic content typical of undisturbed tropical forest ecosystems.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical moist lowland· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionResource & habitat protectionSpecies recovery

Other threatened species in INDOTYPHLIDAE

EN

Seychelles Caecilian

Hypogeophis sechellensis

Unknown
CR

Hypogeophis montanus

Unknown
EN

Stejneger's Caecilian

Hypogeophis alternans

Unknown
Petite Praslin CaecilianCR

Petite Praslin Caecilian

Hypogeophis pti

Unknown

Threatened in Seychelles

EN

Aldabra Fody

Foudia aldabrana

Increasing
CR

Ariadna ustulata

Declining
CR

Moneta coercervea

Unknown
EN

Paludomus ajanensis

Stable

Frequently asked questions

Why is Mahe Caecilian classified as Critically Endangered?
Mahe Caecilian is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Hypogeophis brevis faces severe threats from habitat destruction as Seychelles' native forests are cleared for development and agriculture. The species' extremely limited range on Mahé and Silhouette islands makes it particularly vulnerable to any habitat disturbance. Invasive plant species are degrading the soil ecosystem quality that these fossorial caecilians depend upon for survival.
Where does Mahe Caecilian live?
Mahe Caecilian occurs in Seychelles. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Mahe Caecilian?
The main threats to Mahe Caecilian are 11.1, 11.2, 5.3, and 5.4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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