| Scolecomorphidae | |
|---|---|
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| Scolecomorphus kirkii | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Gymnophiona |
| Clade: | Apoda |
| Family: | Scolecomorphidae Taylor, 1969 |
| Genera | |
TheScolecomorphidae (fromGreek:σκώλεκώςskólekós, 'wormlike' andGreek:μορφήmorphḗ, 'form') are afamily of caecilians[1] also known astropical caecilians,buried-eyed caecilians,[1][2] orAfrican caecilians.[3] They are found inCameroon inWest Africa, andMalawi andTanzania inEast Africa.[1]Caecilians are leglessamphibians which superficially resemble worms or snakes.
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 amongsttetrapods, the scolecomorphids lack astapes bone in the middle ear.[4]
At least some species of scolecomorphids give birth to live young, retaining the eggs inside the females' bodies until they hatch into fully formed offspring, without the presence of a free-living larval stage.[4]
Just six species of scolecomorphids are known, grouped into two genera, as follows:[1][2]
FamilyScolecomorphidae
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