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Discovery of Limbless Amphibian in Kaziranga National Park
Context
A team of herpetologists conducting a rapid survey in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve has made a notable discovery. For the first time, they recorded the presence of a striped caecilian (Ichthyophis spp), a limbless amphibian.
What are Caecilians?
- Caecilians are a group of limbless, burrowing amphibians that resemble earthworms or limbless lizards like snakes and amphisbaenians.
- Order Gymnophiona: They belong to the order Gymnophiona, one of the three extant amphibian orders alongside Anura (frogs and toads) and Caudata (newts and salamanders).
- Habitat and Distribution: Caecilians are mostly found in moist tropical and subtropical regions of South and Central America, South and Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Terrestrial and Elusive: They are primarily terrestrial and spend the majority of their lives underground. Caecilians burrow in various habitats such as forests, grasslands, savannas, shrublands, and wetlands.
- Anatomy: Caecilians lack limbs and have no appendicular skeleton or shoulder girdle. Their spine shows a kink where the pelvic girdle once was, reflecting their adapted burrowing lifestyle.
- Caecilians play a vital role as indicator species, reflecting environmental conditions and contributing to pest control.
Fact Box: About Kaziranga National Park
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