THE CLASSIFICATION OF CAECILIANS

ALPHABETICAL INDEX

Caeciliidae

Chikiliidae

Dermophiidae

Grandisoniidae

Herpelidae

Ichthyophiidae

Rhinatrematidae

Scolecomorphidae

Siphonopidae

Typhlonectidae

Family

Characteristics

Family Distribution

Genera

No. of species

Genus Characteristics

Caeciliidae

The only caecilians with imperforate stapes, inner mandibular teeth, eyes surrounded or covered by the maxillopalatine, and all teeth monocusped.

South and Central America

Caecilia

33

The only caecilids with eyes not covered by bone.

Oscaecilia

9

The only caecilids with eyes covered by bone.

Chikilidae

Caecilians that, like herpelids (Boulengerula and Herpele), have perforate stapes and no septomaxilla, but which differ from herpelids in having a single (undivided) antotic foramen on each side, frontals that do not contribute to the roof of the braincase posterior to the sphenethmoid and carotid foramina posterior to the crista marking the anterior limit of the insertion of the ventral trunk musculature onto the os basale. They further differ from Herpele in lacking separate pterygoids, and from Boulengerula in retaining separate premaxillae and nasals, secondary annuli and annular scales.

NE India

Chikila

4

Oviparous with direct development, lack prefrontals and have two rows of teeth in the lower jaws.

Dermophiidae

The only viviparous caecilians with secondary annuli and annular scales.

Africa, Central and South America

Dermophis

7

The only dermophiids without inner mandibular teeth.

Geotrypetes

3

The only dermophiids with the tentacle far forward, below the nostril.

Gymnopis

2

The only dermophiids with eyes covered by bone.

Schistometopum

2

The only dermophiids with eyes not covered with bone, tentacular apertures closer to the eyes than to the nares, and inner mandibular teeth.

Grandisoniidae (formerly Indotyphlidae)

The only caecilians with imperforate stapes, inner mandibular teeth, some teeth bicusped, eye at the border of the squamosal and maxillopalatines, and either viviparity with neither scales nor secondary annuli, or oviparity.

Seychelles, India, Africa

Gegeneophis

11

The only indotyphlids with the eyes covered by bone.

Grandisonia

3

The only indotyphlids with eyes and tentacular grooves not covered by bone, tentacular apertures not adjacent to or above level of eyes, and olfactory chambers partially divided by bony eminentia olfactoria.

Hypogeophis

2

The only indotyphlids with eyes not covered by bone, tentacular grooves covered by bone, and mesethmoid not massively exposed between frontals.

Idiocranium

1

The only caecilians with massive exposure of the mesethmoid between the nasals.

Indotyphlus

2

The only indotyphlids with tentacular apertures close to and slightly above the level of the eye.

Praslinia

1

The only indotyphlids with the tentacular apertures adjacent to the eyes.

Sylvacaecilia

1

The only indotyphlids with eyes and tentacular grooves not covered by bone, tentacular apertures not adjacent to or above the level of the eyes, and olfactory chambers lacking bony eminentia olfactoria.

Herpelidae

The only caecilians with perforate stapes, no separate septomaxillae or prefrontals, and multiple small antotic foramina on each side

Africa

Boulengerula

7

The only herpelids with fused nasopremaxillae (lacking separate nasals and premaxillae).

Herpele

2

The only herpelids with separate nasals and premaxillae.

Ichthyophiidae

The only caecilians with partial external division of the atrium and a long anterior pericardial space.

South and Southeast Asia

Caudacaecilia

5

The only ichthyophiids lacking inner mandibular teeth.

Ichthyophis

38

The only ichthyophiids with inner mandibular teeth and tentacular apertures below and intermediate between the eyes and nares.

Uraeotyphlus

7

The only ichthyophiids with tentacular apertures far forward, below the nares.

Rhinatrematidae

The only caecilians with the paired m. adductores mandibulae externi extending through the upper temporal fenestra to the mid-dorsum of the cranium.

South America

Epicrionops

8

The only rhinatrematids with long tails (more than 10 postcloacal annuli).

Rhinatrema

3

The only rhinatrematids with short tails (fewer than 10 postcloacal annuli).

Scolecomorphidae

The only caecilians that lack stapes and fenestrae ovales as adults.

Africa

Crotaphatrema

3

The only stegokrotaphic scolecomorphids.

Scolecomorphus

3

The only zygokrotaphic scolecomorphids.

Siphonopidae

The only oviparous caecilians with imperforate stapes and no inner mandibular teeth.

South America

Brasilotyphlus

2

The only siphonopids with a diastema between the vomerine and palatine teeth and eyes covered by bone.

Caecilita

1

The only caecilians with sealed external nares.

Luetkenotyphlus

1

The only siphonopids with short premaxillary-maxillary tooth series (not extending posterior to the choanae), no secondary annuli or scales, and eyes not covered by bone.

Microcaecilia

7

The only siphonopids with eyes under bone, tentacular apertures closer to the eyes than the nares, and no distemata between vomerine and palatine teeth.

Mimosiphonops

2

The only siphonopids with the tentacular apertures closer to the nares than to the eyes.

Parvicaecilia

2

The only siphonopids with secondary annuli and scales, eyes not covered by bone, and open external nares.

Siphonops

5

The only siphonopids with the tentacles closer to the eyes than to the nares, no secondary annuli or scales, no diastemata between vomerine and palatine teeth series, and eyes not under bone.

Typhlonectidae

The only caecilians with fused, sheet- or sac-like embryonic gills.

South America

Atretochoana

1

The only typhlonectids without lungs.

Chthonerpeton

8

The only typhlonectids with ovate external nares.

Nectocaecilia

1

The only typhlonectids with subtriangular nares, and lacking fins.

Potomotyphlus

1

The only typhlonectids with an anteriorly expanded anal (cloacal) disc.

Typhlonectes

2

The only typhlonectids with a subcircular anal disc, lungs and fins.