While gardening, Ms. Nguyễn Thị Ngọc from Vĩnh Long Province discovered a species of amphibian resembling a caecilian listed in Vietnam’s Red Book. The creature measures approximately 25 cm in length and has no legs.
The amphibian Ms. Ngọc found moves very slowly and lives beneath the layer of decaying leaves in the garden.
Observations reveal that this amphibian has a dark purple-black back, a lighter colored belly, and prominent yellow stripes along its sides.
This caecilian moves very slowly and lives beneath the layer of decaying leaves in the garden.
After viewing photos of the creature, many believe it is likely a rare caecilian species in Vietnam. Scientifically named Ichthyophis bannanicus, it belongs to the family Ichthyophiidae and the order Gymnophiona, and this caecilian does not resemble any other frog species and lacks legs.
The caecilian is included in Vietnam’s Red Book (2007) and the IUCN Red List (2012).
This amphibian is called a caecilian due to its appearance, which closely resembles that of a large worm. It has prominent yellow stripes along its sides, and its body length ranges from 10 to 30 cm.
With a body shape similar to that of reptiles, the caecilian has shiny brown-yellow longitudinal stripes and a flattened head that may remind one of vividly colored venomous snakes. In the tadpole stage, caecilians have gills on both sides of the neck, which disappear upon reaching adulthood.
Caecilians typically inhabit areas at altitudes of around 900 to 1000 meters, burrowing into the soil. They dig in loose soil about 20 to 30 cm deep, close to ponds or burrow under large rocks near streams.
The diet of caecilians consists of earthworms and insects. Regarding reproduction, after laying eggs near water sources with high humidity, female caecilians will care for and protect the eggs, as well as regulate the temperature to ensure the hatchlings emerge successfully. Each breeding cycle, female caecilians lay approximately 10 to 30 eggs. The egg-laying period occurs between April and June each year.
