Caeciliidae refers to a family of amphibians that are commonly known as caecilians. These are limbless, serpent-like creatures belonging to the order Gymnophiona, found in tropical regions across the world. They are characterized by their elongated bodies, which can range from a few centimeters to over a meter long, making them the largest group of extant amphibians.
Caecilians are adapted to a fossorial lifestyle, spending most of their time burrowing underground or in leaf litter. They possess specialized adaptations for this mode of life, such as reduced eyes or complete absence of eyes, sensory tentacles on their heads, and hardened dermal scales known as dermal rings or annuli.
These unique creatures have a global distribution, found mainly in South and Central America, Africa, and tropical Asia. However, they are absent from Australia and Antarctica. Caeciliids are highly diverse in terms of their ecological niches, occurring in various habitats like forests, grasslands, and freshwater ecosystems. They are predominantly insectivorous, feeding on a wide range of invertebrates like earthworms, termites, ants, and centipedes.
Caeciliidae showcases a diverse range of reproductive strategies among its species, including oviparity (laying eggs) and viviparity (live birth). Some species have direct development, whereby the young caecilians hatch or are birthed as fully-formed juveniles, skipping the tadpole stage that is characteristic of many other amphibians.
In summary, Caeciliidae is a family of limbless, snake-like amphibians known as caecilians. They exhibit a range of adaptations for their subterranean lifestyle and are found in various tropical regions worldwide, occupying diverse ecological niches and displaying
