One of the strangest and most secretive amphibians in Africa. Unlike frogs or salamanders, caecilians are legless, worm-like creatures that live mostly underground, and the Congo caecilian is a perfect example of how unusual they can be. Found in the moist forests of Central and West Africa, this animal looks more like a giant earthworm or snake at first glance, with a long, smooth body covered in ring-like grooves. Its tiny eyes are often hidden under the skin, making it nearly blind, but that doesn’t matter in the dark soil where it spends most of its life. Instead, it relies on its sharp sense of smell and touch to explore its hidden world beneath the forest floor.

While many amphibians lay eggs and leave, female Congo caecilians stay with their young and provide food in a very unusual way: they grow an extra fatty layer of skin, which the babies peel off and eat. This process, known as dermatophagy, might sound odd to us, but it’s a clever survival trick that ensures the young have a steady food source while they grow in their underground burrows. The babies even have tiny specialized teeth designed just for nibbling on mom’s nutrient-rich skin.

The Congo caecilian’s life is full of hidden adaptations. Its head is strong and pointed, built like a shovel to push through soil. Its slippery skin and muscular body help it slither underground like a living drill. Instead of hopping around like frogs, it spends most of its time burrowing in moist ground, hunting insects, termites, worms, and other invertebrates. Because of its secretive lifestyle, it is rarely seen, and much of what we know about it comes from occasional discoveries or scientific study.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Angola

2017

Presence Uncertain: Cabinda

Cameroon

2017

Central Af. Rep.

2017

Congo-Brazzaville

2017

DR Congo (Kinshasa)

2017

Equatorial Guinea

2017

Gabon

2017

Nigeria

2017