CRCritically Endangered

Mount Oku Caecilian

Crotaphatrema lamottei

Declining

Overview

Crotaphatrema lamottei, the Mount Oku caecilian or Lamotte's caecilian, is a species of caecilian in the family Scolecomorphidae. It is endemic to Mount Oku in Cameroon. The specific name lamottei honours Maxime Lamotte, French biologist. There is some doubt whether Crotaphatrema tchabalmbaboensis really is distinct from this species.

Crotaphatrema lamottei faces severe threats from rapid deforestation and habitat fragmentation across its limited range in West African forests. The species' highly specialized habitat requirements and small population size make it extremely vulnerable to ongoing agricultural expansion and logging activities that continue to reduce and isolate remaining forest patches.
Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits primary and secondary tropical rainforests in West Africa, particularly in areas with dense canopy cover and high humidity. It is typically found in forest understory environments with abundant leaf litter and fallen logs that provide suitable microhabitats.

Forest· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies recovery

Other threatened species in SCOLECOMORPHIDAE

Nyingwa Caecilian

Scolecomorphus uluguruensis

Unknown

Threatened in Cameroon

Frequently asked questions

Why is Mount Oku Caecilian classified as Critically Endangered?

Mount Oku 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. Crotaphatrema lamottei faces severe threats from rapid deforestation and habitat fragmentation across its limited range in West African forests. The species' highly specialized habitat requirements and small population size make it extremely vulnerable to ongoing agricultural expansion and logging activities that continue to reduce and isolate remaining forest patches.

Where does Mount Oku Caecilian live?

Mount Oku Caecilian occurs in Cameroon. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.

What are the main threats to Mount Oku Caecilian?

The main threats to Mount Oku Caecilian are 2.1, 2.3, 5.3, and 7.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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