Caecilians: What are they?

Summary: Have you ever heard of a caecilian? Join Kiersten and a guest co-host to find out what it is!

 

For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean.

 

Show Notes: 

The Amphibian Class by Rebecca Stefoff

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/carcilians-found-in-south-florida

“The Creature Feature: 10 Fun FactsAbout Caecilians (or, This Amphibian is One in a Caecilian)” by Mary Bates, https://www.wired.com

 

Transcript

(Piano music plays)

Kiersten - This is Ten Things I Like About…a ten minute, ten episode podcast about unknown or misunderstood wildlife.

(Piano music stops)

 

Kiersten - Welcome to Ten Things I Like About… This is a podcast about misunderstood or unknown creatures in nature. Some we’ll find right out side our doors and some are continents away but all are fascinating. 

My name is Kiersten and I have a Master’s Degree in Animal Behavior and did my thesis on the breeding behavior of the Tri-colored bat. I was a zookeeper for many years and have worked with all sorts of animals from Aba Aba fish to tigers to ravens to domesticated dogs and so many more in between. Many of those years were spent in education programs and the most important lesson I learned was that the more information someone has about a particular animal the less they fear them. The less they fear them the more they crave information about them and before you know it you’ve become an advocate for that misunderstood animal.

 

This is the first episode of caecilians and I have a guest cohost with me to kick off this series about an unknown animal that most of you have probably never heard of. My friend and cohost of my other podcast The Feathered Desert a podcast all about backyard bird feeding in the Southwest region of the United States, Cheryl is here with me today. Thanks for joining me Cheryl!

Cheryl -  Thanks fro asking me!

Kiersten - So, Cheryl do you know what a caecilian is?

Cheryl - (laughs) No! But you’re going to tell, aren’t you?

 

Kiersten - Yes! We are certainly not talking about people from Sicily although it sounds the same. The caecilians we’re talking about are amphibians. It’s spelled c-a-e-c-i-l-i-a-n. It comes from the Latin word for “blind” and we’ll find out why they were given this name shortly.  I guess the next question we need to answer is what is an amphibian?

 

Cheryl - Oh! I know this one! An amphibian is an organism that can live both on land and in the water. We typically think of frogs, toads, and salamanders when we think of amphibians. The most distinctive characteristic is that their early years are spent underwater breathing through gills and their adult years are generally spent on land breathing air through their nose. 

 

Kiersten - Exactly! Caecilians are an amphibians that most people don’t know about. Even if you were to come across one, you might mistake it for something else. Something like an earthworm. Many caecilians have segmented skin called annuli that makes them look a lot like worms. They’re also legless. Essentially caecilians are amphibians that look like earthworms. 

 

Cheryl - How exactly would I come across one?

 

Kiersten - Well, caecilians live underground. Terrestrial ones burrow into the dirt and aquatic ones burrow into the bottom of lakes and streams. You could, possibly, encounter one while digging in your garden if you live in a humid, tropical or neotropical area in Central America, South America, Central Africa, or Southeast Asia. In 2021 they were discovered in a canal in Miami, Florida!

 

Cheryl - So pretty much all over the world.

 

Kiersten - Yes, in the right habitat they are naturally found on almost every continent, except Antarctica and Australia. Although three species have been introduced into Australia.

 

Cheryl - Three species? So there’s more than one species of caecilian?

 

Kiersten  - Yes! There’s approximately 200 species of caecilians that have been discovered around the world. Can you believe there’s that many species and virtually no one has ever heard of them?

 

Cheryl - No! Don’t forget you were going to tell about why their name comes from the Latin word for blind.

 

Kiersten - Right! Thanks for the reminder. Caecilians, for all intents and purposes, are blind. As they evolved their eyes became smaller and weaker, since they spend so much time in the dark. Scientists believe they still have optic nerves but most caecilians eyes are covered by skin and some are even covered by bone.

 

Cheryl - So not using those eyes for much, then.

 

Kiersten - Not much, no. We believe that the ones covered only by skin may use them to tell light from dark, but they certainly do not use them to determine clear images.

 

Cheryl - Now you said, as they evolved they lost their eyes. That’s got to take a lot of time. How old are these animals exactly?

Kiersten - Good catch! We have found caecilian fossils dating back 190 million years ago. That’s before the time of the dinosaurs. 

 

 Cheryl - These guys sound pretty cool! I can’t wait to learn more about them!

 

Kiersten - Me too! I’m truly enjoying my research into this animal. I’m learning so much! Thanks for joining me today, Cheryl.

 

Cheryl - You’re welcome. Thanks for asking me! This animal has peaked mu interest.

 

Kiersten - Well listeners, I hope this episode has whet your appetite for more information about caecilians because this is my first favorite thing about this amazing unknown creature. 

 

Cheryl - PLus their name is fun to say!

 

Kiersten - Absolutely!

 

If you're enjoying this podcast please recommend me to friends and family and take a moment to give me a rating on whatever platform your listening. It will help me reach more listeners and give the animals I talk about an even better chance at change. 

 

Join me next week for another episode about caecilians!

 

(Piano Music plays) 

This has been an episode of Ten Things I like About with Kiersten and Company. Original music written and performed by Katherine Camp, piano extraordinaire.