Mexican Burrowing Caecilian (Dermophis mexicanus)
Mexican Burrowing Caecilian (Dermophis mexicanus)
Until you give it a close inspection, you may think the Mexican Burrowing Caecilian (Dermophis mexicanus) is an earthworm. However, it is a limbless amphibian. It is also called Mexican caecilian, tepelcua, or tapalcua found in Mexico and other parts of Central America. Here, you will find it under plant debris or leaf litter. This amphibian has a large elongated body with a head and a pointed snout. The skin is dark gray on the upper part and pale gray on the lower part. The skin may have several transverse annular folds and annuli dark markings. It has two vestigial eyes, though covered with skin. The Mexican Burrowing Caecilian is viviparous, nocturnal, and feeds on ground invertebrates.
The Mexican Burrowing Caecilian has an overall length between 11.8”-19.7” (30-50 cm) and body diameter of .59”-1.18” (15-30 mm). The typical lifespan of the Mexican Burrowing Caecilian is between 10-14 years.
Until you give it a close inspection, you may think the Mexican Burrowing Caecilian (Dermophis mexicanus) is an earthworm. However, it is a limbless amphibian. It is also called Mexican caecilian, tepelcua, or tapalcua found in Mexico and other parts of Central America. Here, you will find it under plant debris or leaf litter. This amphibian has a large elongated body with a head and a pointed snout. The skin is dark gray on the upper part and pale gray on the lower part. The skin may have several transverse annular folds and annuli dark markings. It has two vestigial eyes, though covered with skin. The Mexican Burrowing Caecilian is viviparous, nocturnal, and feeds on ground invertebrates.
The Mexican Burrowing Caecilian has an overall length between 11.8”-19.7” (30-50 cm) and body diameter of .59”-1.18” (15-30 mm). The typical lifespan of the Mexican Burrowing Caecilian is between 10-14 years.