Dermophis parviceps (Dunn, 1924)
Slender Caecilian | family: Dermophiidae genus: Dermophis |
© 2017 Twan Leenders (1 of 8) |
|
|
Description Distribution and Habitat Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama
Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors Dermophis parviceps is likely to be viviparous, in keeping with the other members of the genus Dermophis. Caecilian larvae from live-bearing species develop within the mother's body, and feed on maternal secretions from the oviduct. Oviductal secretions are stimulated by the larvae's scraping the oviduct wall with specialized fetal teeth. These specialized teeth are replaced after birth with adult teeth, allowing the juveniles and adults to consume a range of invertebrate prey such as worms and insect larvae (Leenders 2001). Comments A Spanish-language species account can be found at the website of Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBio).
References
Leenders, T. (2001). A Guide to Amphibians And Reptiles of Costa Rica. Zona Tropical, Miami. Savage, J. M. (2002). The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica:a herpetofauna between two continents, between two seas. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, USA and London. Originally submitted by: Peera Chantasirivisal (first posted 2005-11-29) Edited by: Kellie Whittaker (2009-11-04) Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2009 Dermophis parviceps: Slender Caecilian <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/1879> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Nov 12, 2024.
Feedback or comments about this page.
Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 12 Nov 2024. AmphibiaWeb's policy on data use. |