Dermophiidae

Mexican Hautwühle ( Dermophis mexicanus )

The Dermophiidae are a family of caecilians ( Gymnophiona ) that is found in Central and South America and Africa. The taxon was erected in 1969 by the American herpetologist Edward Harrison Taylor as subfamily Dermophiinae and should, with the exception of the genus Caecilia and Oscaecilia include all other caecilians of Caeciliidae family. 1984, the group was provided by the Belgian herpetologist Raymond Ferdinand Louis -Philippe Laurent in the family rank. However, the taxon was found to be paraphyletic and found general acceptance. Only in 2011, the family was revalidated by Wilkinson, San Mauro, Sherratt & Gower, but with a different composition and a different diagnosis.

Features

Like all caecilians are the Dermophiidae wormlike amphibians without limbs and with a sharply formed tail. They are the only viviparous ( live-bearing ) caecilians, have the secondary annuli and are scaly. The annuli are circular folds of skin through which the caecilians are curled and which in turn can be divided into primary, secondary and tertiary annuli.

Phylogenetically, they are defined as those caecilians, the mexicanus as annulatus closer with Dermophis with Siphonops or Hypogeophis rostratus are related.

Genera and species

There are four genera and 14 species:

• Genus Dermophis Dermophis costaricensis
• Dermophis glandulosus
• Dermophis gracilior
• Dermophis mexicanus
• Dermophis oaxacae
• Dermophis occidentalis
• Dermophis parviceps

• Angeli Geotrypetes
• Geotrypetes pseudo angeli
• Geotrypetes seraphini

• Gymnopis multiplicata
• Gymnopis syntrema

• Schistometopum gregorii
• Schistometopum thomense

System

Within the caecilians are the sister group of the Dermophiidae the Siphonopidae, both families stand together in a sister group relationship to the Indotyphlidae. (See caecilians: Section taxonomy)