The Scolecomorphidae (from Greek: σκώλεκώςskólekós, 'wormlike' and Greek: μορφήmorphḗ, 'form') are a family of caecilians[1] also known as tropical caecilians, buried-eyed caecilians,[1][2] or African caecilians.[3] They are found in Cameroon in West Africa, and Malawi and Tanzania in East Africa.[1] Caecilians are legless amphibians 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 amongst tetrapods, the scolecomorphids lack a stapes 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]
^ abcCite error: The named reference Frost was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference AmphibiaWeb was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Scolecomorphidae Taylor, 1969". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
^ abNussbaum, Ronald A. (1998). Cogger, H.G.; Zweifel, R.G. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-12-178560-4.
The Scolecomorphidae (from Greek: σκώλεκώς skólekós, 'wormlike' and Greek: μορφή morphḗ, 'form') are a family of caecilians also known as tropical caecilians...
Ascaphidae From Ambystomatidae: Dicamptodontidae From Caeciliidae: Scolecomorphidae, Typhlonectidae From Ichthyophiidae: Uraeotyphlidae There are a total...
circuit as seen in some reptiles. Adults of species within the family Scolecomorphidae lack both a stapes and an oval window, making them the only known amphibians...
caecilian or Lamotte's caecilian, is a species of caecilian in the family Scolecomorphidae. It is endemic to Mount Oku in Cameroon. The specific name lamottei...
caecilian, Nyingwa caecilian), is a species of caecilian in the family Scolecomorphidae. It is endemic to the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania. Scolecomorphus uluguruensis...
Lake Tanganyika caecilian) is a species of caecilian in the family Scolecomorphidae. It is known from southern Malawi east of the Shire River, northern...
Sylvacaecilia Family Rhinatrematidae Genus Epicrionops Genus Rhinatrema Family Scolecomorphidae Genus Crotaphatrema Genus Scolecomorphus Family Siphonopidae Genus...
Indotyphlidae Family Rhinatrematidae (Neotropical tailed caecilians) Family Scolecomorphidae (African tropical caecilians) Family Siphonopidae Family Typhlonectidae...
the Scolecomorphidae. This classification remained until 2011, when a nine-family level taxa (Rhinatrematidae, Ichthyophiidae, Scolecomorphidae, Herpelidae...
Global Information
