Caecilians are limbless amphibians with segmented, wormlike bodies, small or sometimes non-existent eyes, no ear openings, and tiny sensory tentacles near the mouth. They are burrowing animals found in damp leaf litter or shallow freshwater. This cryptic lifestyle renders caecilians among the least familiar amphibians. Some species have aquatic larval stages, while others lay eggs on land or give birth to live young. Caecilians are predators, ambushing earthworms and other invertebrates. There are seven endemic species of Seychelles Caecilians – Hypogeophis rostratus, Hypogeophis brevis, Grandisonia alternans, Praslinia cooperi, Grandisonia Seychellensis, Grandisonia lavarta and Hypogeophis pti discovered in 2017. The most widespread caecilians are Grandisonia alternans and Hypogeophis rostratus. G. alternans is black with a yellow-grey fore part of the head, reaching 33cm in length. Four other members of the genus Grandisonia are all smaller than this species. Hypogeophis rostratus, found on various islands, lays eggs in moist terrestrial sites, and the female remains coiled around them until they hatch. Adults of H. rostratus reach a length of 20cm and inhabit leaf litter, under stones, and marshes.
(Photo credit: Liz Mwambui)