Caecilians are amphibians, not worms, and not legless lizards. They share a common ancestor with living salamanders and frogs, and still today share many characteristics (skin glands, bone assemblage, etc.). Caecilians are found only in the tropics, can be very long-lived, and spend their time almost entirely underground, which explains their partial loss of vision, and a compact head shape evolved for digging. They have some fascinating natural history: fertilization is usually internal, and the young have specialized teeth which allow them to feed off of the walls of their mother's uterus before being born.

	Dermophis mexicanus. Slide 1 of 2. Caecilian. These amphibians can be observed on very rainy nights, when they sometimes emerge to the soil surface, or in soil excavations.  Larger image
	Dermophis mexicanus. Slide 2 of 2. Note the reduced eye, covered by a layer of skin, just below the reflection of the flash.  Larger image

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