Translations:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Nature/Amphibians/13/en

Gymnophiona

Caecilians (Gymnophiona)

Where found: Caecilians are found in wet tropical regions of Southeast Asia, India and Sri Lanka, parts of East and West Africa, the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean and in northern and eastern South America.

Description: Caecilians completely lack limbs, making the smaller species resemble worms, while the larger species with lengths up to 1.5 meters resemble snakes. The tail is short or absent. They have a strong skull, with a pointed snout used to force their way through soil or mud.[2] In most species, the number of bones in the skull are reduced and fused together, and the mouth is recessed under the head. Owing to their underground life, the eyes are small and covered by skin for protection, which has led to the misconception that they are blind. This is not strictly true, although their sight is limited to simple dark-light perception. All caecilians possess a pair of tentacles, located between their eyes and nostrils. These are probably used for a second olfactory capability, in addition to the normal sense of smell based in the nose.