Typhlonectidae – Aquatic caecilians
Native to South America east Andes, these viviparous amphibians are also named rubber eels
The diet of these caecilians is mainly earthworms and other soft-bodied prey. Feeding either aboveground or underground burrows, these caecilians are believed to locate their prey through a chemosensory tentacle on each side of the head. They capture their prey with powerful recurved teeth, masticate, and swallow.
Aquatic caecilians, the typhlonectids, prey on fishes, eels, and aquatic invertebrates. They spend their days in rivers and streams or burrowed under the ground. They don’t need to see or hear well in the dirt, you know! Most have very tiny eyes, and some have eyes covered with skin, so they’re just bumps.
