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Caeciliidae

(Family)

Overview

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Caeciliidae is the family of common caecilians. They are found in Central and South America, equatorial Africa and India. Like other caecilians, they superficially resemble worms or snakes.

Although they are the most diverse of the caecilian families, the caeciliids do have a number of features in common that distinguish them from other caecilians. In particular, their skulls have relatively few bones, with those that are present being fused to form a solid ram to aid in burrowing through the soil. The mouth is recessed beneath the snout, and there is no tail.1]

Many caeciliids lay their eggs in moist soil. The eggs then hatch into aquatic larvae, which live in seepages in the soil, or in small streams. However, some species lack a larval stage, with the eggs hatching into juveniles with the same form as the adults, or else lack eggs and give birth to live young.[1]

Species

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nes, with those that are present being fused to form a solid ram to aid in burrowing through the soil. The mouth is recessed beneath the snout, and there is no tail.1]

Many caeciliids lay their eggs in moist soil. The eggs then hatch into aquatic larvae, which live in seepages in the soil, or in small streams. However, some species lack a larval stage, with the eggs hatching into juveniles with the same form as the adults, or else lack eggs and give birth to live young.[1]

Species

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  • Genus Boulengerula ? Boulenger's Caecilia ns
    • Boulengerula boulengeri
    • Boulengerula changamwensis
    • Boulengerula denhardti
    • Boulengerula fischeri
    • Boulengerula niedeni
    • Boulengerula taitana
    • Boulengerula uluguruensis
  • Genus Brasilotyphlus ? Brazilian Caecilians
    • Brasilotyphlus braziliensis
    • Brasilotyphlus guarantanus
  • Genus Caecilia ? Common Caecilians
    • Caecilia abitaguae
    • Caecilia albiventris
    • Caecilia antioquiaensis
    • Caecilia armata
    • Caecilia attenuata
    • Caecilia bokermanni
    • Caecilia caribea
    • Caecilia corpulenta
    • Caecilia crassisquama
    • Caecilia degenerata
    • Caecilia disossea
    • Caecilia dunni
    • Caecilia flavopunctata
    • Caecilia gracilis
    • Caecilia guntheri
    • Caecilia inca
    • Caecilia isthmica
    • Caecilia leucocephala
    • Caecilia marcusi
    • Caecilia mertensi
    • Caecilia nigricans
    • Caecilia occidentalis
    • Caecilia orientalis
    • Caecilia pachynema
    • Caecilia perdita
    • Caecilia pressula
    • Caecilia subdermalis
    • Caecilia subnigricans
    • Caecilia subterminalis
    • Caecilia tentaculata
    • Caecilia tenuissima
    • Caecilia thompsoni
    • Caecilia volcani
  • Genus Caecilita
    • Caecilita iwokramae
  • Genus Dermophis ? Mexican Caecilians
    • Dermophis costaricensis
    • Dermophis glandulosus
    • Dermophis gracilior
    • Dermophis mexicanus
    • Dermophis oaxacae
    • Dermophis occidentalis
    • Dermophis parviceps
  • Genus Gegeneophis ? Forest Caecilians
    • Gegeneophis carnosus
    • Gegeneophis danieli, Daniel's caecilian
    • Gegeneophis fulleri
    • Gegeneophis goaensis
    • Gegeneophis krishni
    • Gegeneophis madhavai
    • Gegeniophis mhadeiensis
    • Gegeneophis nadkarnii
    • Gegeneophis ramaswamii
    • Gegeneophis seshachari
  • Genus Geotrypetes ? West African Caecilians
    • Geotrypetes angeli
    • Geotrypetes pseudoangeli
    • Geotrypetes seraphini, Gaboon caecilian
  • Genus Grandisonia ? Seychelles Caecilians
    • Grandisonia alternans
    • Grandisonia brevis
    • Grandisonia larvata
    • Grandisonia sechellensis
  • Genus Gymnopis ? Wet Forest Caecilians
    • Gymnopis multiplicata
    • Gymnopis syntrema
  • Genus Herpele ? Congo Caecilians
    • Herpele mult iplicata
    • Herpele squalostoma
  • Genus Hypogeophis ? Frigate Island Caecilian
    • Hypogeophis rostratus
  • Genus Idiocranium ? Makumuno Assumbo Caecilian
    • Idiocranium russeli
  • Genus Indotyphlus ? Battersby's Caecilians
    • Indotyphlus battersbyi
    • Indotyphlus maharashtraensis
  • Genus Luetkenotyphlus ? Sao Paolo Caecilian
    • Luetkenotyphlus brasiliensis
  • Genus Microcaecilia ? Tiny Caecilians
    • Microcaecilia albiceps
    • Microcaecilia grandis
    • Microcaecilia rabei
    • Microcaecilia supernumeraria
    • Microcaecilia taylori
    • Microcaecilia unicolor
  • Genus Mimosiphonops ? Worm Patterned Caecilians
    • Mimosiphonops reinhardti
    • Mimosiphonops vermiculatus
  • Genus Oscaecilia ? South American Caecilians
    • Oscaecilia bassleri
    • Oscaecilia elongata
    • Oscaecilia equatorialis
    • Oscaecilia hypereumeces
    • Oscaecilia koepckeorum
    • Oscaecilia ochrocephala
    • Oscaecilia osae
    • Oscaecilia polyzona
    • Oscaecilia zweifeli
  • Genus Parvicaecilia ? Columbian Caecilians
    • Parvicaecilia nicefori
    • Parvicaecilia pricei
  • Genus Praslinia ? Cooper's Caecilian
    • Praslinia cooperi
  • Genus Schistometopum ? Guinae Caecilians
    • Schistometopum gregorii
    • Schistometopum thomense
  • Genus Siphonops ? Ringed Caecilians
    • Siphonops annulatus
    • Siphonops hardyi
    • Siphonops insulanus
    • Siphonops leucoderus
    • Siphonops paulensis
  • Genus Sylvacaecilia ? Aleku Caecilian
    • Sylv acaecilia grandisonae

References

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  1. ^ a b Nussbaum, Ronald A. (1998). Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G.. ed. Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 57. ISBN 0-12-178560-2. 

Taxonomy

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The Family Caeciliidae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

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Atretochoana

Atretochoana eiselti is a species of amphibian in the Caeciliidae family. It the sole species (monotypic) in its genus, Atretochoana. It is notable for having no lungs, one of only two lungless caecilians. [more]

Boulengerula

Boulengerula is a genus of amphibian in the Caeciliidae family. [more]

Brasilotyphlus

Brasilotyphlus is a genus of caecilians in the Caeciliidae family. It was considered monotypic, containing only the species Brasilotyphlus braziliensis, but the recently described species Brasilotyphlus guarantanus has been placed in this same genus. Both species have only been recorded from Brazil. [more]

Caecilia

Caecilia is a genus of amphibians in the family Caeciliidae. [more]

Caecilius

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[1] [more]

Chthonerpeton

Chthonerpeton is a genus of in the Caeciliidae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Crotaphatrema

Scolecomorphidae is the family of tropical caecilians (Frost) or African caecilians (ITIS). They are found in Cameroon in west Africa, and Malawi and Tanzania in east Africa. Caecilians are legless amphibians which superficially resemble worms or snakes. [more]

Dermophis

Dermophis is a genus of amphibian in the family Dermophiidae, native mainly to southern Mexico to northwestern Colombia. [more]

Drymopsocus

Dypsocus

[more]

Enderleinella

Gegeneophis

[more]

Gegenes

[more]

Geotrypetes

Geotrypetes is a genus of in the Caeciliidae family. [more]

Grandisonia

Grandisonia is a genus of amphibian in the Caeciliidae family. [more]

Gymnopis

Gymnopis is a genus of amphibian in the Caeciliidae family. [more]

Herpele

Herpele is a genus of caecilian in the family Caeciliidae. [more]

Hypogeophis

Hypogeophis rostratus is a species of amphibian in the Caeciliidae family. It is within the genus Hypogeophis.[] It is endemic to Seychelles, where it is the most widespread caecilian species. It is found on all the islands with amphibians, namely Mah?, Praslin, Silhouette, Ste. Anne, Curieuse, La Digue, Cerf, and Fr?gate. [more]

Idiocranium

[more]

Indotyphlus

[more]

Luetkenotyphlus

Luetkenotyphlus brasiliensis is a species of in the Caeciliidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Luetkenotyphlus. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and possibly Paraguay. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, pastureland, plantations , rural gardens, urban areas, and heavily degraded former forest. [more]

Microcaecilia

Microcaecilia is a genus of amphibian in the Caeciliidae family. [more]

Mimosiphonops

Mimosiphonops is a genus of in the Caeciliidae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Nectocaecilia

Nectocaecilia petersii is a species of amphibian in the Typhlonectidae family. It belongs to the monotypic genus Nectocaecilia.[] This species is found in Venezuela, possibly Brazil, and possibly Colombia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and rivers and it is threatened by habitat loss. [more]

Oscaecilia

Oscaecilia is a genus of amphibian in the Caeciliidae family. [more]

Paracaecilius

[more]

Parvicaecilia

Parvicaecilia is a genus of amphibian in the Caeciliidae family. The two species are from Colombia. [more]

Potomotyphlus

Potomotyphlus kaupii is a species of amphibian in the Typhlonectidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Potomotyphlus.[] It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and possibly Bolivia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical swamps, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, rivers, freshwater lakes, and freshwater marshes. [more]

Praslinia

Praslinia cooperi is a species of in the family Caeciliidae. It is found on Mahé and Silhouette Islands in the Seychelles. An old reported sighting on its namesake Praslin is not known to be correct. [more]

Schistometopum

Schistometopum is a genus of amphibian in the Dermophiidae family. Schistometopum thomense is only known from two islands in the Bight of Benin, but has been reported from "Upper Za?re." This likely refers to an undiscovered third species. [more]

Scolecomorphus

Scolecomorphidae is the family of tropical caecilians (Frost) or African caecilians (ITIS). They are found in Cameroon in west Africa, and Malawi and Tanzania in east Africa. Caecilians are legless amphibians which superficially resemble worms or snakes. [more]

Siphonops

Siphonops is a genus of in the Caeciliidae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Sylvacaecilia

Sylvacaecilia grandisonae is a species of in the Caeciliidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Sylvacaecilia. It is endemic to Ethiopia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, rivers, intermittent rivers, and freshwater springs. [more]

Typhlonectes

Typhlonectes is a genus of in the Caeciliidae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Valenzuela

[more]

Xanthocaecilius

[more]

More info about the Genus Xanthocaecilius may be found here.

References

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  1. ^ a b Nussbaum, Ronald A. (1998). Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G.. ed. Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 57. ISBN 0-12-178560-2. 

Footnotes

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  1. http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Caecilius&search=Search

Sources

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  • The text on this page is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It includes material from Wikipedia retrieved Wednesday, April 25, 2012.
  • The distribution map on the Distribution tab comes from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and is used with permission.
  • Photographs on this page are copyrighted by individual photographers, and individual copyrights apply.
  • The technology underlying this page, including the controls behind Keep Exploring, is owned by the BayScience Foundation. All rights are reserved.
Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 13:26:28