Gymnoph’ – Caecilians
Limbless, serpentine amphibians distributed in the tropics of South and Central America, Africa, and southern Asia
These amazing amphibians are not even widely known to exist!
Though that makes sense given that people hardly ever see caecilians because they lead extremely secretive lives in burrows or under the water. They lack limbs and may resemble eels or earthworms, depending on whether they are terrestrial or aquatic. Due to their weak vision, they mostly rely on their sense of smell to locate food and partners. Their skin is moist and may have ring-like marks around their body, like all amphibians.
Caecilians possess moist skin, a characteristic shared with other amphibians, and their bodies may feature ring-like marks. These markings, along with their unique physiology, contribute to their distinctive appearance. While their diet includes termites, insects, and vegetative waste, specific dietary preferences can vary among species, and much remains to be discovered about their eating habits.
One of the remarkable features of caecilians is the presence of sensory tentacles, which are situated between their eyes and nostrils. These tentacles house specialized cells with a highly developed capacity for detecting chemical cues in their environment. These chemosensory cells play a crucial role in the caecilians’ sensory perception, enabling them to sense and interpret chemical signals in their surroundings.
Only 25% of the Gymnophiona species we know about are oviparous (egg-laying); the rest are viviparous (give birth to live young).
Did you know?
- Originally thought to be related to snakes, Gymnophiona translates to ‘naked snake’ in Greek, And Caecilians? ‘Caecus’ meaning blind
- The only amphibians to have (tiny) tentacles!
- Have tiny eyes, thought only to detect light and dark.
- And hearing? They have little need for that too.
- Powerful diggers! Using their skull and body-long muscles to drill through dirt.
Families in this order
Also named Asiatic tailed caecilians are a primitive family, and the only caecilians with true tails & scales on their bodies
Most diverse Family of the caecilians, typical to have skull with relatively few bones and no tail
Native to Central and South America, members in this Family are Oviparous -laying eggs
Found in Africa, Seychelles and India; formerly placed in family Caeciliidae
Native to South America east Andes, these viviparous amphibians are also named rubber eels
The only viviparous (give birth to live young) family of caecilians, used to classified in family Caeciliidae
Native to equatorial South America; widely regarded as the most basal family of caecilians
Native to Central and East Africa; classified as a family in 1984 and closely related to newly found family Chikilidae
Also called buried-eyed caecilians due to their vestigial eyes, attached underneath the snout
Most recent (2012) family of caecilians to be identified, although the type species, Chikila fulleri, was first described in 1904
