CR

Ityphilus melanostigmus

Unknown

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Ityphilus melanostigmus faces severe threats from deforestation and agricultural expansion across its limited range in the Western Ghats of India. The species' dependence on moist soil conditions in undisturbed forest ecosystems makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and degradation. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns that could disrupt the humid microhabitats essential for this fossorial caecilian's survival.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits moist, well-drained soils in tropical montane forests of the Western Ghats, typically found in leaf litter and upper soil layers of undisturbed forest ecosystems. It requires consistently humid conditions and is associated with areas of high organic matter content in forest soils.

Forest· majorMarine neritic· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protection

Threatened in Seychelles

EN

Acropora mossambica

Declining
EN

Imperturbatia violescens

Stable
EN

Aldabra Fody

Foudia aldabrana

Increasing
CR

Ariadna ustulata

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Ityphilus melanostigmus classified as Critically Endangered?
Ityphilus melanostigmus 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. Ityphilus melanostigmus faces severe threats from deforestation and agricultural expansion across its limited range in the Western Ghats of India. The species' dependence on moist soil conditions in undisturbed forest ecosystems makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and degradation. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns that could disrupt the humid microhabitats essential for this fossorial caecilian's survival.
Where does Ityphilus melanostigmus live?
Ityphilus melanostigmus 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 Ityphilus melanostigmus?
The main threats to Ityphilus melanostigmus are 11.1, 5.3, 8.1, and ai-1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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