Taita Hills
The Taita Hills, sometimes also spelled as Teita Hills, are a precambrian mountain range located in the Taita-Taveta County in the south-eastern Kenya. The hills consist of three massifs: Dabida, Sagalla in the southern side of Voi township and Kasigau in the south near the border of Tanzania. The Dawida massif is the largest and tallest of the three, with an altitude of 2,228 metres (7,310 ft) above sea level at its highest peak, Vuria. Dabida has three other main peaks: Iyale, Wesu, and Susu.
Ecology
The hills are known for their moist forests with a unique fauna and flora. More than 20 endemic species of African violets (e.g., Saintpaulia teitensiss) occur exclusively in that region. Known endemic bird species are the Taita thrush (Turdus helleri) and the Taita apalis (Apalis fuscigularis). The Taita falcon (Falco fasciinucha) and the Taita fiscal (Lanius dorsalis) were first discovered at the hills but occur elsewhere, too. An amphibian in the genus Boulengerula occurs only in the Taita Hills. The Sagala caecilian (Boulengerula niedeni) is a critically endangered worm-like amphibian that lives in the Taita Hills.
The native Taita people are living at the edge of the forests and develop the soil which is very productive. The region was severely logged in the past and the remaining indigenous forest is now part of a nature reserve.