Tropical Caecilians and Salamanders 12-29-07

The uncommon amphibians of the tropics

No – not a Sicilian! We are going to talk about caecilians.

Caecilians are amphibians with no legs and a very short tail.

They spend most of their time underground or in the water (depending on the species), and are very rarely found on the surface of the ground.

Siphonops annulatus (SE Brazil and N Argentina) eating a worm. From Gans, 1974.

Dermophis mexicanus – Central America. From Cogger & Zweifel, 1998.

Gymnopis multiplicata, Central America. From Halliday & Adler, 1986

Ichthyophis glutinosus with eggs – Asia. From Cogger & Zweifel, 1998.

Ichthyophis glutinosus,tentacle extruded – Asia. From Halliday & Adler, 1986.

Ichthyophis kohtaoensis, Asia. From Cogger & Zweifel, 1998.

Schistometopum thomense, Gulf of Guinea, Africa. From Cogger & Zweifel, 1998.

Typhlonectes natans, South America. From Cogger & Zweifel, 1998.

Salamanders are amphibians that have tails and legs.

Salamanders hide during the day underground or under logs and/or debris. They are most easily found while foraging on leaves at night.

All Neotropical salamanders belong to the family Plethodontidae, the lungless salamanders (they exchange all gases across their skin). The primary character of this family is the presence of nasolabial grooves – a groove that runs from the nose to the upper lip (they rest the head on the surface and sense the habitat by fluids running up the nasolabial grooves into the nares).

Many can shoot their tongue to capture prey.

Steve Deban

Most salamanders, and all Neotropical salamanders, have internal fertilization. The males set a spermatophore on a wet surface, and the females, after courtship, pick up the sperm cap with their cloacas.

Central American Worm Salamander, Oedipina elongata

Julian Lee, 2000

Northern Banana Salamander, Bolitoglossa rufescens* sp found in CC in 2008

Julian Lee, 2000

Doflein’s Mushroomtongue Salamander, Bolitoglossa dofleini

Julian Lee, 2000

Mexican Mushroomtongue Salamander, Bolitoglossa mexicana

Julian Lee, 2000

Cloaca