Amphibian

Caecilian

Area: 
Central Africa, Southeast Asia, southern Mexico to Argentina
Habitat: 
Loose soil and ground liter in tropical forests, or in rivers or streams
Food: 
Worms, termites, beetle pupae, snails, small snakes, frogs, lizards
Size: 
From 3 1/2 inches to about 5 feet long, depending on the species
Babies: 
In some species, larvae hatch from eggs then grow and change into adult form. Other types of caecilians give birth to live young that develop inside the mother before being born.
Caecilians have toxic glands in their skin that sometimes protect them from being eaten by other animals.
Strange and Secretive

 

A caecilian (seh-SILL-yen ) looks like a cross between an eel and an earthworm, but it is really an amphibianA cold-blooded animal that lives both on land and in water and is able to breathe through its skin as well as, or instead of, through its lungs. Frogs and salamanders are amphibians. like frogs and salamanders. They have no arms or legs, and sometimes it’s hard to tell which end is the head and which is the tail! Their shiny skin is ringed with skin folds called annuli, and they usually come in shades of gray, brown, black, orange, or yellow. Some speciesA group of individuals that have many of the same characteristics, and are different from all other animals in some important way. Hamsters and mice are two different species of rodent. have tiny, fishlike scales within the rings.

 

Most caecilians are burrowers, living in a network of tunnels underground. A hard, thick, pointy skull helps these amphibians dig in soft dirt. They may look soft on the outside, but inside a caecilian’s mouth are dozens of needle-sharp teeth which are used to grab their preyNoun: An animal that is hunted as food by another animal. Verb: To attempt to take an animal for food.. All food is swallowed whole.

 

Because of their underground lifestyle, caecilians have little need to see or hear. Their eyes are very tiny in some speciesA group of individuals that have many of the same characteristics, and are different from all other animals in some important way. Hamsters and mice are two different species of rodent., or hidden under the skin or skull in other speciesA group of individuals that have many of the same characteristics, and are different from all other animals in some important way. Hamsters and mice are two different species of rodent.. Caecilians don’t have ear openings, so they probably don't hear sounds the way we do. Sensitive tentacles, located between the nostrils and the eyes, let them locate their preyNoun: An animal that is hunted as food by another animal. Verb: To attempt to take an animal for food. by touch and feel their way around.