Gymnopis multiplicata

Gymnophis multiplicata is found in tropical forests of countries along the equator. This includes Central and South America, Central Africa, and Southern Asia.

Gymnophis multiplicata is found in tropical forests burrowing up to three meters below ground.

The most distinguishing characteristic of all caecilians is their limbless, worm-like bodies. This caecilian reaches about 30 centimeters, or one foot, in length and is dark purple, almost black, in color with about 100 or so grooves encircling its body. It has very tiny eyes with sensory tentacles, each between one eye and one nostril. This tentacle can retract when it is not in use. It also has well-developed jaws and teeth, which distinguishes it from a very large earthworm. Caecilians also have scales embedded in their skin.

The sexes look alike externally. The male, unlike the other amphibians, have a concealed organ for the direct passage of semen into the body of the female. After internal fertilization, the larvae are born in water and have external gills, which they lose at metamorphosis into adults. At this point, they can drown if they remain underwater.

Caecilian behavior is not well known. They are not a well-studied order due to difficulty of finding them in their well-hidden burrows. They are thought to be solitary, coming together to mate but courtship rites and estrus cycles are also not known. The young are also thought to be rather precocial when born, with the mother not caring for them after birth. They stay underground until heavy rains drive them to the surface, presumably to avoid drowning.

This Caecilian’s diet ranges from worms, caterpillars, termites, and small burrowing snakes that it catches while burrowing through the earth.

Because caecilians are not well-studied, their risk of extinction is not known. However, they may be affected by rain forest destruction.

It has been thought that Caecilians were the sister group of the other lissamphibians, the frogs and salamanders. Molecular data, however, places them to closer to salamanders than to frogs. It was also commonly believed that all amphibians are descended from the fossil amphibians, the Temnospondyls. It is now being suggested that only frogs are descended from the Temnospondyls and salamanders and caecilians descended from the Microsaurs. This is still highly controversial as it is contradicted by traditional morphology.