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Ichthyophis paucisulcus (Taylor, 1960)
| Family Name: | Ichthyophiidae |
| Taxonomic Group: | Vertebrates (Amphibian) |
| Common Name: | Yellow-banded Caecilian |
Name
Description
| Size | 15 cm |
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| Description | This extremely rare legless amphibian is related to frogs and newts, not snakes. It is dark brown or black, with a yellow line along each flank, tiny eyes covered with a layer of skin, and a tiny mouth. It is not poisonous. |
Ecology, Habitat & Location
| Ecological Notes | Inhabits mature forest. Burrows in soil and leaf litter along forest streams. Probably feeds on worms and other soil-dwelling animals. Larvae are aquatic, and live in streams among submerged leaf-litter. |
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| Habitats | Forest, Freshwater, Terrestrial |
| Distribution | Known from Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and observed in a single location at the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. Otherwise known only from Sumatra. |
| Nature Reserves | Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Central Catchment Nature Reserve |
Conservation
| Trends & Threats | Habitat degradation. |
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| Scientific Interest & Potential Value | The identification is tentative. The true identity of the Singapore caecilian is uncertain as species identification can only be based on adult specimens, and adults have not been found recently. Allied species in the genus are sometimes collected for the pet trade in other parts of Southeast Asia. |
| Conservation Notes | Continued habitat protection in the two Nature Reserves where is is known to occur. |
Status
| Species Status | Native |
|---|---|
| Conservation Status | Rare |
| Singapore Red Data Book Status | Critically Endangered (CR) [2008], Endangered (E) [1994] |
Photos
References
| References | Davison, G.W.H., Ng, P.K.L. & Ho, H.C (Eds.). 2008. The Singapore Red Data Book (2nd Edition). Singapore: Nature Society (Singapore). 285pp |
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