World Caecilian Diversity

Family:
N SA, E of Andes
Fossorial, some terrestrial
True short tails
Secondary and tertiary annuli
Dermal scales present
Mouth at tip of snout
Not hight specialized for burrowing
Jaw adducting muscle made of one bundle
Biphasic repro cycle (larvae hatch from eggs)

Family:
Have true tails
Secondary and tertiary annuli
Dermal scales
Stegokrotaphic skulls
Oviparious
Gilled larvae

Family:
Zygokrotaphic, but lacks several bony elements
Counter-sunk lower jaws
Eyes connected to tentacle and protruded
Lack secondary and tertiary annuli & lack dermal scales
Viviparous
No true tail

Family:
Disjunct Africa
Young have unique teeth with hook-like processes to peel mothers skin
Eyes concealed under bone

Family:
S Asia
Fossorial, evergreen tropical forests
Oviparous, direct development
Secondary annuli

Family:
C/S America
Direct development
Viviparous
Few to no secondary annuli
Lack dermal scales
Lack true tail
Prob paraphyletic
Monocusped teeth

Family:
SA, E of Andes
Secondarily aquatic (some semi aquatic
Viviparous, juveniles shed gills
Burrow
Zygokrotaphic skulls
Lack annular scales and secondary annuli
Include the largest extant lungless tetrapod

Family:
India, Seychelles, NE Africa (disjunct)
Rainforests
Fossorial
Have secondary annuli
Varied repro
Parental care

Family:
N/C America, tropical Africa
Fossorial
Viviparious
Secondary annuli and annular scales
Eat earthworms

Family:
SA
Oviparous
Imperforate stapes
Lacks inner mandibular teeth
Maternal dermatophagy (young eats dead skin from mother)