What are the characteristics of caecilians?

Caecilians (pronounced seh-SILL-yens) are tropical amphibians that look like large worms or slick snakes. They have no arms or legs, and sometimes it's hard to tell which end is the head and which is the tail! Their shiny skin is ringed with skin folds called annuli.

1. Do caecilians have eyes?
2. What are the 7 main characteristics of amphibian?
3. How are caecilians different from other amphibians?
4. What are caecilians for kids?
5. What are caecilians predators?
6. What are caecilians most closely related to?
7. How do caecilians breathe?

Do caecilians have eyes?

Caecilians tend to have very small eyes, which are thought only to be able to detect differences between light and dark. In some species, the eyes are completely covered by skin—an adaptation suited to a life spent almost entirely underground.

What are the 7 main characteristics of amphibian?

What are the 7 main characteristics of amphibians? Amphibians have a backbone, are cold-blooded, need a moist place to live, can breathe air through their skin, externally fertilize their eggs, eat meat, and grow legs when they mature.

How are caecilians different from other amphibians?

Caecilians belong to the same group of animals that includes frogs and salamanders. But unlike other amphibians, caecilians lack legs. Some caecilians are as short as a pencil, while others grow as long as a child. Their eyes are tiny and hidden beneath skin and sometimes bone.

What are caecilians for kids?

Caecilians are amphibians like frogs and salamanders, but they don't have legs. They live in Asia, Africa and Central and South America. All About Caecilians, the amphibians like the frogs and salamanders that don't have legs. Caecilians spend their days in rivers and streams or burrowed under the ground.

What are caecilians predators?

Caecilians themselves are preyed upon by burrowing snakes, fish (Gazola Da Silva et al. 2007), and by introduced animals like chickens, pigs and the tenrecs that have been introduced to the Seychelles.

What are caecilians most closely related to?

Caecilians are most closely related to salamanders. As you can see from Figure below, they have a long, worm-like body without legs. Caecilians evolved from a tetrapod ancestor, but they lost their legs during the course of their evolution.

How do caecilians breathe?

Like all amphibians, caecilians breathe primarily through their skin but will occasionally come to the surface to breathe air through their lungs. ... Most caecilians have two rows of teeth on the upper jaw and one or two on the lower jaw. They are carnivorous and feed on insect larvae, worms and small fish.