#caeciliidae

Rio Lita Caecilian (𝐶𝑎𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑎 𝑛𝑖𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑠), family Caeciliidae, near Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, Colombia

Caecilians are amphibians, like salamanders and frogs. (They are vertebrates).

They are not worms, nor are they snakes.

Most species are either fossorial (burrowing), like this species, or aquatic.

Günther's Caecilian (Caecilia guntheri), family Caeciliidae, Choco, Colombia

Caecilians are amphibians, like frogs and salamanders. (They are vertebrates.)

They are not worms, nor are they snakes.

Most species are either fossorial (burrowing), like this species, or aquatic.

Rio Lita Caecilian (Caecilia nigricans), family Caeciliidae, Valle de Cauca, Colombia

Caecilians are amphibians, like frogs and salamanders. (They are vertebrates.)

They are not worms, nor are they snakes.

Most species are either fossorial (burrowing), like this species, or aquatic.

Rio Lita Caecilian (Caecilia nigricans), family Caeciliidae, Colombia

White-belly Ceacilian (Caecilia albiventris), family Caeciliidae, endemic to Suriname

Ceacilians are amphibians, like frogs and salamanders.

They are not snakes, nor are they worms.

Two new species of Caecilia (Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae) from the Ecuadorian humid Chocó

Bᴏᴄᴋ, S., T. E. Aʀʀᴏʙᴀ-Lᴏ́ᴘᴇᴢ, H. L. Vᴇʟᴇᴢ-Gɪʟᴇʀ, V. Mᴏʀᴇɪʀᴀ, et al.

ABSTRACT

We describe two new caecilian species of the genus Caecilia (Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae) from the wet tropical Chocó Forest, northwestern Ecuador. We applied an integrative taxonomic approach, taking into consideration external morphology, os-teology from intensive ct-scanning, and molecular phylogenetic analyses. The two new species were compared to all other Caecilia species, known to occur west of the Ecuadorian and Colombian Andes. The new taxa can be distinguished by their external morphological characters, as well as by their osteology, genetic divergence, and phylogenetic relationships. The two new species, although morphologically quite different, were closely related. Caecilia tesoro sp. n. is a large-bodied, robust species with a unique colour pattern in larger individuals. In contrast, Caecilia truncata sp. n. is a smaller caeciliid and sister to medium-sized C. volcani, a species known from Panama. Morphologically, C. truncata sp. n. is best recognized by a very truncated snout shape. As know from many previously recognized neotropical caeciliids, both new species are likely endemic to small ranges, here the humid tropical lowland to mid-altitude forests of western Ecuador. Both new species seem to tolerate some degree of habitat degradation. Our new findings support to intensify research and conservation activities in one of South America's most diverse but severely endangered biomes. We also present, for the first time, some clues of the phylogenetic position of elongated C. nigricans and C. leucocephala. Caecilia nigri cans was sister to a clade composed of one Oscaecilia and ten species of Caecilia. This topology rendered the genus Caecilia paraphy-letic relative to Oscaecilia.

Read the paper here:

Caecilian (Caecilia pulchraserrana), family Caeciliidae, endemic to Yariguíes National Park, in Santander Department, Colombia.

Caecilians are amphibians, like salamanders and frogs. (They're vertebrates.)

They are not worms, nor are they snakes.

Moscopan Caecilian (Caecilia subdermalis), family Caeciliidae, endemic to Colombia

Ceacilians are amphibians, like frogs and salamanders.

They are not snakes, nor are they worms.