UNAWAFAHAMU VYURA WA KIHANSI?

Moja kati ya urithi adimu uliopo nchini Tanzania ni vyura wa Kihansi ambao wanazaa tofauti na vyura wengine ambao hutaga mayai. Vyura hawa ambao wapo kwenye kundi la wanyama jamii ya amphibian, kitaalamu hujulikana kwa jina la Nectophrynoides asperginis, ni wenye umbo dogo kati ya inchi tatu na nusu hivi, rangi yao ni yenye mabaka ya njano. Katika ukuaji wao hufanana kabisa na vyura jamii nyingine za kawaida.

Mazingira wanayoruhusu vyura hawa kuishi na sehemu zenye joto la wastni na hali ya unyevu nyevu karibu kipindi chote cha mwaka, nah ii pengine ndiyo sababu ya kuwa vyura hawa hawapatikani sehemu nyingine yoyote ile Duniani isipokuwa kusini mashariki mwa Mkoa wa Morogoro katika maporomoko ya Kihansi.

Mbali na kutumika kwa ajili ya utafiti, vyura hawa pia wamekuwa kivutio kikubwa cha utalii nchini Tanzania.

DO YOU KNOW KIHANSI TOADS?

The Kihansi Spray Toad, Nectophrynoides asperginis, is a dwarf toad, with adults reaching no more than three quarters of an inch long. The diminutive, mustard-colored amphibian notably bypasses the tadpole stage of development and gives birth the purple-hued toad lets.

That the Kihansi Spray Toad possesses this particular developmental feature -- though not exclusive to the species -- may or may not be a function of the ephemeral nature of its environment. Due to the unique conditions of the spray zone habitat, many endemic species have made adaptations to survive. Another local amphibian, the Torrent Frog, has modified suction mouth parts that enable it to cling to the slick rocks at the base of the falls. The Kihansi Gorge environment was so specialized that the toad has not been found in any surrounding wetlands of gorges. The toad had one of the smallest geographic ranges -- approximately two hectares -- of any four-legged vertebrate species in the world.

 The waterfalls of the Kihansi River, part of ecosystem that is one of only 25 Global Biodiversity Hotspots on the planet (Hotspots are regions noted for their extensive range of species in a very small area). The gorge is located in the Southern Udzungwa Mountains of South Central Tanzania, which possess the greatest biodiversity in all of Tanzania.