Caecilians are a group of limbless, worm-shaped or snake-shaped amphibians with either small eyes or no eyes, comprising the order Gymnophiona. They mostly live hidden in soil or in streambeds, making them some of the least familiar amphibians, and modern caecilians live in the tropics of South and Central America, Africa and southern Asia. Caecilians represent one of the three living amphibian groups alongside frogs and toads and salamanders, with more than 220 living species organized into ten families.
Facts
Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceLimbless, worm-shaped or snake-shaped body with small or absent eyes and ring-shaped skin folds (annuli) that give a segmented appearance. 1 Scientific Name Connections
Sources
1. Caecilian (Wikipedia)
Lead, first sentence
Caecilians (New Latin for 'blind ones', from caecus, blind) are a group of limbless, worm-shaped or snake-shaped amphibians, with either small eyes or no eyes, comprising the order Gymnophiona.
Skin section
The skin also has numerous ring-shaped folds, or annuli, that partially encircle the body, giving them a segmented appearance.
View the SourceCatalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: GymnophionaView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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