BOA2.2 Caecilian Taxonomy and Biodiversity.Key

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The Biology of Amphibians Agnes Scott College

Mark Mandica Executive Director The Amphibian Foundation [email protected] 678 379 TOAD (8623) Centrolenidae: Cochranella euknemos 2.2: Caecilian Taxonomy & Biodiversity

Caeciliidae: Caecilia sp. Apoda no feet CLassification of Order: Gymnophiona † Eocaecilia Rhinatrematidae Ichthyophiidae Scolecomorphidae Chikilidae Herpelidae Caeciliidae Typhlonectidae Indotyphiidae Dermophiidae Siphonopidae

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Actinopterygian Coelacanth, Tetrapodomorpha †Amniota *Gerobatrachus (Ray-ﬁn Fishes) Lungﬁsh (stem-tetrapods) (Reptiles, Mammals)Lepospondyls † (’frogomander’) Eocaecilia GymnophionaKaraurus Caudata Triadobatrachus

Gymnophiona Anura (including Apoda Urodela Prosalirus †)

Salientia Apoda Batrachia Lissamphibia *Gerobatrachus may be the sister taxon Temnospondyls † to Batrachia

Tetrapods

Osteichthyes Sarcopterygian (Bony Fishes) (Lobe-ﬁn Fishes) Lissamphibia The Biology of Amphibians amphibbio.amphibianfoundation.org Eocaecilia micropodia †

CLassification of Order: Gymnophiona † Eocaecilia Rhinatrematidae Ichthyophiidae Scolecomorphidae Chikilidae Herpelidae Caeciliidae Typhlonectidae Indotyphiidae Dermophiidae Siphonopidae

† †

Gymnophiona Anura (including Apoda Urodela Prosalirus †)

Salientia Apoda Batrachia Lissamphibia *Gerobatrachus may be the sister taxon Temnospondyls † to Batrachia

Tetrapods

Osteichthyes Sarcopterygian (Bony Fishes) (Lobe-ﬁn Fishes) Lissamphibia The Biology of Amphibians amphibbio.amphibianfoundation.org Eocaecilia micropodia †

CLassification of Order: Gymnophiona † Eocaecilia Rhinatrematidae Ichthyophiidae Scolecomorphidae Chikilidae Herpelidae Caeciliidae Typhlonectidae Indotyphiidae Dermophiidae Siphonopidae

† †

Gymnophiona Anura (including Apoda Urodela Prosalirus †)

Salientia Apoda Batrachia Lissamphibia *Gerobatrachus may be the sister taxon Temnospondyls † to Batrachia

Tetrapods

Osteichthyes Sarcopterygian (Bony Fishes) (Lobe-ﬁn Fishes) Lissamphibia The Biology of Amphibians amphibbio.amphibianfoundation.org Gymnophiona naked snake Order: Gymnophiona (10 Families, 207 sp.)

Family: Rhinatrematidae (11 sp.) Family: Ichthyophiidae (57 sp.) Family: Scolecomorphidae (6 sp.) Family: Chikilidae (4 sp.) Family: Herpelidae (10 sp.) Family: Caeciliidae (42 sp.) Family: Typhlonectidae (14 sp.) Family: Indotyphlidae (23 sp.) Family: Dermophiidae (14 sp.) Family: Siphonopidae (26 sp.) Family: Rhinatrematidae. Nussbaum, 1977 (11 sp.)

Neotropical tailed caecilians, American tailed caecilians or beaked caecilians, are found in the equatorial countries of South America

Genera: Epicrionops Boulenger, 1883 (8 sp.) Rhinatrema Duméril and Bibron, 1841 (3 sp.)

The most primitive and sister taxon to all other caecilians

Numerous characteristics lacking They still possess tails Have no sub-terminal mouth They lay their eggs in cavities in the soil The larvae have external gills until they metamorphose Lack second set of jaw adductor muscles present in all other families Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Rhinatrematidae

Epicrionops sp. Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Rhinatrematidae

Rhinatrema bivittatum Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Rhinatrematidae

Rhinatrema bivittatum Family: Ichthyophiidae. Taylor, 1968 (57 sp.) Asiatic tailed caecilians or ﬁsh caecilians found in South and Southeast Asia as well as southernmost China

Genera: Ichthyophis Fitzinger, 1826 (50 sp.) Uraeotyphlus Peters, 1880 (7 sp.)

They are primitive caecilians, lacking many of the derived characters found in the other families

Numerous characteristics lacking They still possess tails They have no sub-terminal mouth They lay their eggs in cavities in the soil. The larvae have external gills until they metamorphose. Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Ichthyophiidae

Uraeotyphlus interruptus Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Ichthyophiidae

Uraeotyphlus narayani Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Ichthyophiidae

Uraeotyphlus oxyurus Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Ichthyophiidae

Ichthyophis kohtaoensis Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Ichthyophiidae

Ichthyophis bombayensis Family: Scolecomorphidae. Taylor, 1969 (6 sp.)

The Scolecomorphidae are the family of tropical caecilians or African caecilians. They are found in Cameroon in West Africa, and Malawi and Tanzania in East Africa

Genera: Crotaphatrema Nussbaum, 1985 (3 sp.) Scolecomorphus Boulenger, 1883 (3 sp.)

Scolecomorphid synapomorphies Scolecomorphids have only vestigial eyes, which are attached to the base of a pair of tentacles underneath the snout. Unlike other caecilians, they have only primary annuli; these are grooves running incompletely around the body, giving the animal a segmented appearance. All other caecilians have a complex pattern of grooves, with secondary or tertiary annuli present. Also uniquely amongst tetrapods, the scolecomorphids lack a stapes bone in the middle ear. Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Scolecomorphidae

Scolecomorphus vittatus Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Scolecomorphidae

Larva

Adult

Scolecomorphus kirkii Family: Chikilidae. Kamei, San Mauro, Gower, Van Bocxlaer, Sherratt, Thomas, Babu, Bossuyt, Wilkinson, and Biju, 2012 (4 sp.)

The Chikilidae are the family of Indian Caecilians

Genera: Chikila Kamei, San Mauro, Gower, Van Bocxlaer, Sherratt, Thomas, Babu, Bossuyt, Wilkinson, and Biju, 2012 (4 sp.)

Chikilid synapomorphies They have very limited eyesight and skulls adapted for burrowing. Their eggs hatch into adult caecilians, with no larval stage in between. The mothers stay wrapped around their developing eggs for two to three months, apparently not eating at all during this period. Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Chikilidae

Chikila sp. Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Chikilidae

Chikila fulleri Family: Herpelidae. Laurent, 1984 (10 sp.)

The Herpelidae are the family of African Caecilians

Genera: Boulengerula Tornier, 1896 (8 sp.) Herpele Peters, 1880 (2 sp.)

Herpelid synapomorphies Herpelids are distinguished by the following combination of characters: perforate stapes, multiple small antotic foramina, and no separate septomaxillae or separate prefrontals. . Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Herpelidae

Boulengerula niedeni Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Herpelidae

Boulengerula fischeri Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Herpelidae

Boulengerula taitanus Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Herpelidae

Herpele squalostoma Family: Caeciliidae. Raﬁnesque, 1814 (42 sp.)

The Caeciliidae are the family of Common Caecilians. They are found in Central and South America, equatorial Africa and India

Genera: Caecilia Linnaeus, 1758 (33 sp.) Oscaecilia Taylor, 1968 (9 sp.)

Caecilia guntheri

Caeciliid synapomorphies Although they are the most diverse of the caecilian families, the caeciliids do have a number of features in common that distinguish them from other caecilians. In particular, their skulls have relatively few bones, with those that are present being fused to form a solid ram to aid in burrowing through the soil. The mouth is recessed beneath the snout, and there is no tail. Many caeciliids lay their eggs in moist soil. The eggs then hatch into aquatic larvae. However, some species lack a larval stage, with the eggs hatching into juveniles with the same form as the adults, or else lack eggs and give birth to live young.

. Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Caeciliidae

Caecilia sp. Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Caeciliidae

Caecilia attenuata Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Caeciliidae

Caecilia nigricans Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Caeciliidae

Caecilia sp. Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Caeciliidae

Caecilia tentaculata Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Caeciliidae

Oscaecilia ochrocephala Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Caeciliidae

Oscaecilia osae Family: Typhlonectidae. Taylor, 1968 (14 sp.)

The Typhlonectidae are the family of Aquatic Caecilians and Rubber Eels. They are found east of the Andes in South America

Genera: Atretochoana Nussbaum and Wilkinson, 1995 (1 sp.) Chthonerpeton Peters, 1880 (9 sp.) Nectocaecilia Taylor, 1968 (1 sp.) Potamotyphlus Taylor, 1968 (1 sp.) Typhlonectes Peters, 1880 (2 sp.)

Typhlonectid synapomorphies They are viviparous animals, giving birth to young that possess external gills. Of the ﬁve genera in the family, Atretochoana, Potomotyphlus and Typhlonectes are entirely aquatic, while Chthonerpeton and Nectocaecilia are semiaquatic.

. Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Typhlonectidae

Chthonerpeton indistinctum Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Typhlonectidae

Typhlonectes natans Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Typhlonectidae

Typhlonectes compressicauda Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Typhlonectidae

Typhlonectes sp. Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Typhlonectidae

Atretochoana eiselti is the largest tetrapod to lack lungs, double the size of the next largest

Atretochoana eiselti Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Typhlonectidae

The media has referred to me as the ‘penis snake’ and the ‘manaconda’

Atretochoana eiselti Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Typhlonectidae

Atretochoana eiselti Family: Indotyphlidae. Lescure, Renous, and Gasc, 1986 (23 sp.)

The Indotyphlidae are the family of Common Caecilians found in Africa, Seychelles and India.

Genera: Gegeneophis Peters, 1880 (12 sp.) Grandisonia Taylor, 1968 (3 sp.) Hypogeophis Peters, 1880 (3 sp.) Idiocranium Parker, 1936 (1 sp.) Indotyphlus Taylor, 1960 (2 sp.) Praslinia Boulenger, 1909 (1 sp.) Sylvacaecilia Wake, 1987 (1 sp.)

Indotyphlid synapomorphies They are closely related but genetically different to Caeciliadae.

. Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Indotyphlidae

Geneophis pareshi Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Indotyphlidae

Geneophis orientalis Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Indotyphlidae

Hypogeophis sp. Family: Dermophiidae. Taylor, 1969 (14 sp.)

The Dermophiidae are the family of Common Caecilians found in Africa, Central America, and South America.

Genera: Dermophis Peters, 1880 (7 sp.) Geotrypetes Peters, 1880 (3 sp.) Gymnopis Peters, 1874 (2 sp.) Schistometopum Parker, 1941 (2 sp.)

Dermophiid synapomorphies Dermophiids are distinguished by the following combination of characters: secondary annuli and annular scales.

. Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Dermophiidae

Dermophis mexicanus Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Dermophiidae

Dermophis parviceps Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Dermophiidae

Dermophis sp. Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Dermophiidae

Geotrypetes seraphini Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Dermophiidae

Schistometopum thomense Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Dermophiidae

Schistometopum thomense Family: Siphonopidae. Bonaparte, 1850 (26 sp.)

The Siphonopidae are the family of Common Caecilians found in Central and South America.

Genera: Brasilotyphlus Taylor, 1968 (2 sp.) Luetkenotyphlus Taylor, 1968 (1 sp.) Microcaecilia Taylor, 1968 (16 sp.) Mimosiphonops Taylor, 1968 (2 sp.) Siphonops Wagler, 1828 (5 sp.)

Siphonopid synapomorphies Siphonopid are distinguished by the following combination of characters: oviparity and lack of secondary row of mandibular teeth. .

. Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Siphonopidae

Microcaecilia dematophaga Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Siphonopidae

DoSo ReLa MiTi FaDo

Microcaecilia dematophaga Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Siphonopidae

Siphonops annulatus Order: Gymnophiona | Family: Siphonopidae

Siphonops annulatus Tune in next time for Caudata

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Geotrypetes seraphini & Herpele squalostoma