Indotyphlus
| Indotyphlus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Gymnophiona |
| Clade: | Apoda |
| Family: | Grandisoniidae |
| Genus: | Indotyphlus Taylor, 1960 |
| Type species | |
| Indotyphlus battersbyi Taylor, 1960
| |
| Species | |
|
2 species (see text) | |
Indotyphlus is a small genus of caecilians in the family Indotyphlidae.[1][2][3] As caecilians in general, they superficially resemble earthworms.[3] The genus is endemic to the Western Ghats, India.[1][4][5] They are sometimes known as Battersby's caecilians.[1]
Description
Indotyphlus are small caecilians, with the largest specimen (a female Indotyphlus battersbyi) measuring 24 cm (9.4 in) in total length.[5] The eyes are visible in sockets, instead of under bone.[3][4][5] Other diagnostic characters are absence of temporal fossae, mesethmoid not being exposed dorsally, presence of splenial teeth, secondary grooves, and scales, tentacular opening that is closer to the eye than to the external nostril, no unsegmented terminal shield, smallish narial plugs on tongue, absence of diastema between vomerine and palatine teeth, and absence of terminal keel.[4][5]
Development is probably direct, without aquatic larvae.[5]
Habitat
The genus is unusual among caecilians in that both species have been recorded from relatively open, shallow-soiled areas with long dry season.[5]
Species
The genus contains two species:[1][2][6]
| Binomial name and author | Common name |
|---|---|
| Indotyphlus battersbyi Taylor, 1960 | Battersby's caecilian |
| Indotyphlus maharashtraensis Giri, Wilkinson, and Gower, 2004 | Humbarli caecilian, Maharashtra caecilian |
References
- ^ a b c d Frost, Darrel R. (2018). "Indotyphlus Taylor, 1960". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Indotyphlidae". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
- ^ a b c Vitt, Laurie J.; Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. pp. 447, 454.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|last-author-amp=ignored (|name-list-style=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c Nussbaum, Ronald A.; Wilkinson, Mark (1989). "On the classification and phylogeny of caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona), a critical review". Herpetological Monographs. 3: 1–42. doi:10.2307/1466984. JSTOR 1466984.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|last-author-amp=ignored (|name-list-style=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e f Giri, V. B.; M. Wilkinson; D. J. Gower (2004). "A new species of Indotyphlus Taylor (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae) from the Western Ghats, India" (PDF). Zootaxa. 739: 1–19. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.739.1.1.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|last-author-amp=ignored (|name-list-style=suggested) (help) - ^ "Indotyphlus Taylor, 1960". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.