Ichthyophis glutinosus

Ceylonwühle, Larva, brooding females and eggs. Drawing from Hans Gadow. Amphibia and Reptiles, 1909, MacMillan & Co.

The Ceylonwühle ( Ichthyophis glutinosus ) is a living in mud soil type of caecilians, which is found in Sri Lanka.

Features

To a large earthworm of up to 45 centimeters long remembered, about 1.6 inches thin and indented by ring furrows in about 400 cross- body segments of Ceylonwühle. The top is dark brown or blue-black, dyed the bottom light brown. Are bright yellow longitudinal stripes on the flanks. Between the black eyes and the nostrils, there are a pair of small, retractable white tentacles that are used instead of the reduced visual performance orientation. In addition, the sense of smell on the nose and the Jacobson organ is very strong. The latter is also consistent with the sensors connected.

Occurrence of life

The Ceylonwühle is in Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, common. There they settled muddy ground within swamps in the central and southwestern part of the island. The still rather common species feeds on worms and other invertebrates. For reproduction period between March and September, the females ten to 24 sets in one strand contiguous eggs with a size of six times nine millimeters in a hole in the ground and guarded them. The hatched, about four inches long larvae crawl into nearby waters. Your outer gills they have regressed at the time; but it is still an open gill hole on each side of the neck available. Also, clear eyes to see, and rudiments of hind limbs. The laterally flattened, provided with tail hems support their aquatile lifestyle they lead to metamorphosis.