What are Caecilians?

About Caecilians:

• The Caecilians are elongated, segmented, limbless amphibians.
• They are classified in the order Gymnophiona or Apoda ("without legs").
• They belong to the same group of animals that includes frogs and salamanders.
• Lacking limbs, caecilians resemble earthworms or snakesin appearance.
• The name Caecilian means "blind". Some caecilian species are eyeless, while others have small eyes hidden under their skin.
• There are about 200 known caecilian species. 
• Habitat:
  • Most caecilians inhabit moist tropical and subtropical regions of South and Central America, South and Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. 
  • Almost all caecilians are terrestrial, but they are elusive as they spend the majority of their lives underground.
  • They burrow primarily in forests, but also in grassland, savanna, shrubland, and wetlands.
• Other Features:
• The smaller species measure less than three inches, but the largest one (Caecilia thompsoni from Colombia) grows to almost five feet long.
• A hard, thick skull with a pointy snout helps them move effectively through dirt or mud.
• Their shiny skin is ringed with skin folds called annuli.
• They usually come in shades of gray, brown, black, orange, or yellow.
• Some have tiny, fishlike scales within the rings.
• They have short, sensory tentacles located between their eyes and nostrils that help them probe their environment and find prey.