Biology:Herpelidae

From HandWiki
Short description: Family of amphibians

Herpelidae
Herpele squalostoma.jpg
Female Herpele squalostoma with her young
Scientific classification e
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Gymnophiona
Clade: Apoda
Family: Herpelidae
Laurent, 1984
Type genus
Herpele
Peters, 1875
Genera

Herpelidae are a family of caecilians, sometimes known as the African caecilians. They are found in Sub-Saharan Africa.[1][2][3] Like other caecilians, they superficially resemble worms or snakes.[3] They are the sister group to the newly discovered Chikilidae.[4]

Distribution

Herpelidae occur primarily in Central and East Africa, barely reaching West Africa (southeastern Nigeria), and northern parts of Southern Africa (Malawi, possibly Zambia).[1]

Genera

There are two genera with ten species in total:[1][2]

  • Boulengerula Tornier, 1896 – Boulenger's caecilians, Usambara bluish-gray caecilians (8 species)
  • Herpele Peters, 1880 – Congo caecilians (2 species)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Frost, Darrel R. (2018). "Herpelidae Laurent, 1984". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/index.php//Amphibia/Gymnophiona/Herpelidae. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Herpelidae". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. 2018. http://www.amphibiaweb.org/lists/Herpelidae.shtml. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 Vitt, Laurie J.; Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. pp. 451–452. 
  4. Frost, Darrel R. (2018). "Chikilidae Kamei, San Mauro, Gower, Van Bocxlaer, Sherratt, Thomas, Babu, Bossuyt, Wilkinson, and Biju, 2012". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/index.php//Amphibia/Gymnophiona/Chikilidae. 

Wikidata ☰ Q3086167 entry