Caecilian

A limbless amphibian in the order Gymnophiona, adapted to burrowing underground or living in water. Caecilians have elongated bodies, reduced eyes, and sensory tentacles between the eyes and nostrils.

Amphibia: The vertebrate class comprising frogs, salamanders, and caecilians, typically with aquatic larvae and permeable skin. Caecilians are one of the three major living amphibian lineages.
Fossoriality: An adaptation to digging and living underground. Many caecilians move through soil using a compact skull and powerful body muscles.
Tropical soil ecology: The study of organisms and ecological processes in tropical soils. Burrowing caecilians are predators within these poorly observed ecosystems.
Ringed caecilian: A widespread South American caecilian species, Siphonops annulatus. Its skin-feeding young illustrate maternal care in an egg-laying species.
Gymnophiona: The amphibian order containing all living caecilians. This is the scientific order that defines caecilians.
Caecilian feeding: The capture and swallowing of prey by caecilians, often using backward-curving teeth. Their jaws and teeth secure prey in narrow burrows.
Soil food web: The network of feeding relationships among organisms living in soil. Caecilians connect soil invertebrate prey with larger predators.
Caecilia tentaculata: A large caecilian species found in parts of northern South America. It exemplifies the elongated, burrowing body plan common among terrestrial caecilians.
Amphibian skin: A thin, permeable integument that supports water and gas exchange in many amphibians. Its permeability helps explain caecilians’ dependence on moist environments.
Caecilian reproduction: The reproductive strategies of caecilians, including egg-laying and live birth. Their reproductive modes range from terrestrial eggs to fully aquatic larvae and viviparity.

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