| Dermophis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tapalcua (Dermophis mexicanus) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Gymnophiona |
| Clade: | Apoda |
| Family: | Dermophiidae |
| Genus: | Dermophis Peters, 1880 |
| Species | |
7,see text | |
Dermophis is a genus of worm-likeamphibians[1] in the familyDermophiidae, the Neotropical and Tropical African caecilians.[2][3] They are found in theMiddle America between southernMexico and northwesternColombia. Common namesMexican caecilians orNeotropical caecilians are sometimes used for them.[2]
The genus has seven species:[2][3]
| Binomial Name and Author | Common Name |
|---|---|
| Dermophis costaricenseTaylor, 1955 | |
| Dermophis glandulosusTaylor, 1955 | |
| Dermophis graciliorGünther, 1902 | |
| Dermophis mexicanus(Duméril & Bibron, 1841) | Mexican caecilian, tapalcua |
| Dermophis oaxacae(Mertens, 1930) | Oaxacan caecilian |
| Dermophis occidentalisTaylor, 1955 | |
| Dermophis parviceps(Dunn, 1924) | La Loma caecilian, slender caecilian |
The largest species,Dermophis mexicanus, can grow to a total length of 60 cm (24 in), while the smallest one,Dermophis parviceps, reaches only 11 cm (4 in). The body has numerousfolds, from 97 to 258, with considerable variations both between individuals within a species and between the species. There is a tentacle about halfway between eye and nostril. The lower jaw has only one row of teeth.[4] Living specimens are very dark purple to purple-black above and creamy white below.[1]
Based on external morphology, three groups of species can be recognized:[4]
