Description
A small (15-70 cm) caecilian with a distinct head and eyes, large mouth, short tail, and transverse cloaca. Color ranges from dark brown to bluish black, with a bright yellow lateral stripe. Body annuli may be incomplete and range in number up to 300. Two series of denticles on lower jaw, and a tentacle between the eye and nostril.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Indonesia

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Found only on the island of Java, Indonesia, this species inhabits moist environments in both forested and cultivated areas up to 100m elevation.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
The large, oval eggs are protected by the female. Embryos have 3 pairs of external gills. The aquatic larvae possess a pair of spiracles behind the head and tailfins, and are found in small streams under stones and leaf litter. Adults feed on small blind snakes and worms.

Trends and Threats
Unknown

Relation to Humans
None

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

General habitat alteration and loss
Habitat modification from deforestation, or logging related activities
Intensified agriculture or grazing
Urbanization
Drainage of habitat
Dams changing river flow and/or covering habitat
Subtle changes to necessary specialized habitat
Habitat fragmentation
Local pesticides, fertilizers, and pollutants

References

''Biodiversity Information Sharing Service (BISS): Ichthyophis hypocyaneus.'' arcbc.org. Asean Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation. 6 Feb. 2006 .

''IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Ichthyophis hypocyaneus.'' redlist.org. IUCN. 6 Feb. 2006 .

Iskandar, D. T. (1998). The Amphibians of Java and Bali. Research and Development Centre for Biology-LIPI, Bogor, Indonesia.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2007 Ichthyophis hypocyaneus: Javan Caecilian <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/1986> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Dec 26, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 26 Dec 2024.

AmphibiaWeb's policy on data use.