Siphonopidae
Siphonopidae
Siphonopidae includes a group of heavy girth and ringed caecilians . It has 2 species in Peru , 1 in the Madre de Dios department and 1 in the Manu area of which we include 1 species in this guide . The members of this South American family are usually dark or pink in appearance often with a ringed pattern , and have diminished eye function , in some cases the eyes are completely covered with skin or even bone .
They are highly fossorial species that occur in open areas as well as forests . Some are adaptable and are able to tolerate disturbed habitats . They are quite shy and often burrow when disturbed . They do not use the projectile tongues found in other amphibians , but are insectivorous . Little is known about the breeding behaviour for many species of this family , although we know that they lay eggs . Species of the genus Siphonus are thought to lack an aquatic larval stage and to develop directly . Females guard their eggs in chambers and eggs hatch into non pigmented young . Hatchlings have been described to feed on the outer layer of skin of their mothers , a trait that is thought to be common throughout the family .
Siphonops annulatus