Caeciliidae - Common Caecilians

Common caecilians are found in Central America, South America, Africa, and India.

Caecilians look like worms, eels, or snakes. Caecilians have no tail and their mouth is recessed under their snout. They have strong jaws and lots of teeth.

Caecilians have no gills, but they have gill slits. The bones in their skulls are fused into what looks like one solid helmet. They use their heads to burrow into leaf litter and into the ground.

Males and females look the same. Excepts for during the mating season, most caecilians are solitary. Caecilians eat insects, worms, and small snakes.

World Status Key
Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in Wild Extinct
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status.

US Status Key
Threatened in US Threatened in NH Endangered in US Endangered in NH Breeds N.H. Introduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

Location Key
Africa Asia Australia Europe North America South America NH Click for More Info Click for Image

New Hampshire Species		North/Central American Species
None		Mexican Caecilian - Dermophis mexicanus Dermophis oaxacae  Dermophis occidentalis Dermophis parviceps Gymnopis multiplicata Gymnopis syntrema   Oscaecilia elongata   Oscaecilia ochrocephala Oscaecilia osae
North/Central American Species
Caecilia isthmica   Caecilia leucocephala Caecilia nigricans Caecilia volcani Dermophis costaricensis Dermophis glandulosus  Dermophis gracilior

Other Species Around the World
Atretochoana eiselti Boulengerula boulengeri Boulengerula changamwensis Boulengerula denhardti Boulengerula fischeri Boulengerula niedeni Boulengerula taitana Boulengerula uluguruensis Brasilotyphlus braziliensis Caecilia abitaguae Caecilia albiventris Caecilia antioquiaensis Caecilia armata Caecilia attenuata Caecilia bokermanni Caecilia caribea Caecilia corpulenta Caecilia crassisquama Caecilia degenerata Caecilia disossea Caecilia dunni Caecilia flavopunctata Caecilia gracilis Caecilia guntheri Caecilia inca Caecilia marcusi Caecilia occidentalis Caecilia orientalis Caecilia pachynema Caecilia perdita Caecilia pressula Caecilia subdermalis Caecilia subnigricans  Caecilia subterminalis Caecilia tentaculata Caecilia tenuissima Caecilia thompsoni Chthonerpeton arii Chthonerpeton braestrupi Chthonerpeton exile Chthonerpeton indistinctum Chthonerpeton noctinectes Chthonerpeton onorei Chthonerpeton perissodus Chthonerpeton viviparum Crotaphatrema bornmuelleri Crotaphatrema lamottei Crotaphatrema tchabalmbaboensis Gegeneophis carnosus Gegeneophis danieli Gegeneophis fulleri Gegeneophis goaensis		Gegeneophis krishni Gegeneophis madhavai Gegeneophis mhadeiensis Gegeneophis nadkarnii Gegeneophis ramaswamii Gegeneophis seshachari Geotrypetes angeli Geotrypetes pseudoangeli Geotrypetes seraphini Grandisonia alternans Grandisonia brevis Grandisonia larvata Grandisonia sechellensis Herpele multiplicata Herpele squalostoma Hypogeophis rostratus Idiocranium russeli Indotyphlus battersbyi Indotyphlus maharashtraensis Luetkenotyphlus brasiliensis Microcaecilia albiceps Microcaecilia rabei  Microcaecilia supernumeraria Microcaecilia taylori Microcaecilia unicolor Mimosiphonops reinhardti Mimosiphonops vermiculatus Nectocaecilia petersii  Oscaecilia bassleri Oscaecilia equatorialis Oscaecilia hypereumeces Oscaecilia koepckeorum Oscaecilia polyzona Oscaecilia zweifeli Parvicaecilia nicefori Parvicaecilia pricei Potomotyphlus kaupii  Praslinia cooperi Schistometopum gregorii Schistometopum thomense Scolecomorphus kirkii Scolecomorphus uluguruensis Scolecomorphus vittatus Ringed Caecilian - Siphonops annulatus Siphonops hardyi Siphonops insulanus Siphonops leucoderus Siphonops paulensis Sylvacaecilia grandisonae Typhlonectes compressicauda Typhlonectes cunhai Typhlonectes natans

Additional Information

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Atretochoana eiselti
Atretochoana eiselti is found in Brazil. Until 2011, it was only known from preserved specimens.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No

Atretochoana eiselti
Atretochoana eiselti can be up to 3 feet in length.
Source: Natural History Museum, UK Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes

Boulengerula boulengeri
Boulengerula boulengeri is found in Tanzania.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No

Boulengerula changamwensis
Boulengerula changamwensis is found in Kenya and Malawi.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No

Boulengerula fischeri
Boulengerula fischeri is found in Rwanda.
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Boulengerula niedeni
Boulengerula niedeni is found in Kenya.
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Boulengerula niedeni
Boulengerula niedeni has tow rows of teeth on each of its jaws.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes

Boulengerula taitana
Boulengerula taitana is found in the Taita Hills in Kenya.
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Boulengerula uluguruensis
Boulengerula uluguruensis is found in Tanzania.
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Caecilia attenuata
Caecilia attenuata is found in Ecuador and Peru.
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Caecilia caribea
Caecilia caribea is found in Colombia .
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No

Caecilia isthmica
Caecilia isthmica is found in Colombia and Panama.
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Caecilia marcusi
Caecilia marcusi is found in Bolivia.
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Caecilia nigricans
Caecilia nigricans is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama.
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Caecilia occidentalis
Caecilia occidentalis is found in Colombia.
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Caecilia subnigricans
Caecilia subnigricans is found in Colombia and Venezuela.
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Caecilia tentaculata
Caecilia tentaculata is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
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Caecilia thompsoni
Caecilia thompsoni is found in Colombia.
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Caecilia thompsoni
Caecilia thompsoni can be up to 5 feet in length.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes

Chthonerpeton indistinctum
Chthonerpeton indistinctum is found in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No

Mexican Caecilian - Dermophis mexicanus
The Mexican Caecilian is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
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Mexican Caecilian - Dermophis mexicanus
The Mexican Caecilian eats termites, crickets, snails, slugs, and earthworms.
Source: DigiMorph Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No

Mexican Caecilian - Dermophis mexicanus
The Mexican Caecilian is 11-19 inches in length.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes

Dermophis oaxacae 
Dermophis oaxacae is found in Mexico.
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Dermophis occidentalis
Dermophis occidentalis is found in Costa Rica.
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Dermophis parviceps
Dermophis parviceps is found in Costa Rica and Panama.
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Gegeneophis carnosus
Gegeneophis carnosus is found in India.
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Gegeneophis carnosus
Gegeneophis carnosus lives in humid evergreen forests.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Gegeneophis danieli
Gegeneophis danieli is found in India.
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Gegeneophis goaensis
Gegeneophis goaensis is found in India.
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Gegeneophis mhadeiensis
Gegeneophis mhadeiensis is found in India.
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Gegeneophis seshachari
Gegeneophis seshachari is found in India.
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Geotrypetes seraphini
Geotrypetes seraphini is found in India.
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Gymnopis multiplicata
Gymnopis multiplicata is found in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
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Indotyphlus battersbyi
Indotyphlus battersbyi is found in India.
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Indotyphlus maharashtraensis
Indotyphlus maharashtraensis is found in India.
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Microcaecilia taylori
Microcaecilia taylori is found in Suriname.
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Oscaecilia osae
Oscaecilia osae is found in Costa Rica.
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Oscaecilia osae
Oscaecilia osae is up to 15 inches in length.
Source: Species of Costa Rica Intended Audience: General Reading Level: In Spanish Teacher Section: No

Oscaecilia polyzona
Oscaecilia polyzona is found in Colombia .
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No

Potomotyphlus kaupii 
Potomotyphlus kaupii is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
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Schistometopum gregorii
Schistometopum gregorii is found in Kenya and Tanzania.
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Schistometopum thomense
Schistometopum thomense is found on the island nation of Sao Tomé and Principe off the coast of Africa.
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Scolecomorphus vittatus
Scolecomorphus vittatus is found in Tanzania.
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Ringed Caecilian - Siphonops annulatus
The ringed caecilian is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
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Siphonops paulensis
Siphonops paulensis is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.
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Sylvacaecilia grandisonae
Sylvacaecilia grandisonae is found in Ethiopia.
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Typhlonectes compressicauda
Typhlonectes compressicauda is found in Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela.
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Typhlonectes natans
Typhlonectes natans is found in Colombia and Venezuela.
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Typhlonectes natans
Typhlonectes natans is also known as the rubber eel, but it is not an eel.
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Typhlonectes natans
Typhlonectes natans is 17-21 inches in length.
Source: World Association of Zoos and Aquariums Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No