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{{Short description|Family of amphibians}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Scolecomorphus kirkii (cropped).jpg
| image_caption = ''Scolecomorphus kirkii''
| taxon = Scolecomorphidae
| authority = [[Edward Harrison Taylor|Taylor]], 1969
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision =
''[[Crotaphatrema]]'' 
''[[Scolecomorphus]]''
}}

The '''Scolecomorphidae''' (from {{langx|el|σκώλεκώς}} {{transliteration|el|skólekós}}, 'wormlike' and {{langx|el|μορφή}} {{transliteration|el|morphḗ}}, 'form') are a [[Family (biology)|family]] of caecilians<ref name=Frost/> also known as '''tropical caecilians''', '''buried-eyed caecilians''',<ref name=Frost/><ref name=AmphibiaWeb/> or '''African caecilians'''.<ref>{{ITIS |id=208552 |taxon=Scolecomorphidae Taylor, 1969 |access-date=30 July 2019}}</ref> They are found in [[Cameroon]] in [[West Africa]], and [[Malawi]] and [[Tanzania]] in [[East Africa]].<ref name=Frost/> [[Caecilian]]s are legless [[amphibian]]s which superficially resemble worms or snakes.

Scolecomorphids have only vestigial eyes, which are attached to the base of a pair of tentacles underneath the snout. Unlike other caecilians, they have only primary annuli; these are grooves running incompletely around the body, giving the animal a segmented appearance. All other caecilians have a complex pattern of grooves, with secondary or tertiary annuli present. Also uniquely amongst [[tetrapod]]s, the scolecomorphids lack a [[stapes]] bone in the middle ear.<ref name=EoR>{{cite book |editor=Cogger, H.G. |editor2=Zweifel, R.G.|author= Nussbaum, Ronald A.|year=1998|title=Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians|publisher= Academic Press|location=San Diego|isbn= 978-0-12-178560-4|page= 56}}</ref>

At least some species of scolecomorphids give birth to live young, retaining the eggs inside the females' bodies until they hatch into fully formed offspring, without the presence of a free-living larval stage.<ref name=EoR/>

== Morphology ==
Studies examining the cranial anatomy of '''''Scolecomorphus kirkii''''' revealed that the species possess a highly ossified and compace skull structure, characterized by fusion of several cranial bones. It identified unique configurations of the macillopalatine bone, which helps facilitate the movement of the sensory tentacles on the face of Caecilians. This adaptation is believed to enhance the tentacles protrusion and retraction capabilities, aiding in environmental sensing during subterranean navigation<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Maddin |first1=Hillary C. |last2=Jenkins |first2=Farish A. |last3=Anderson |first3=Jason S. |date=2012-12-05 |editor-last=Farke |editor-first=Andrew A. |title=The Braincase of Eocaecilia micropodia (Lissamphibia, Gymnophiona) and the Origin of Caecilians |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=7 |issue=12 |article-number=e50743 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0050743 |doi-access=free |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=3515621 |pmid=23227204|bibcode=2012PLoSO...750743M }}</ref>

== Taxonomy ==
Just six species of scolecomorphids are known, grouped into two genera, as follows:<ref name=Frost/><ref name=AmphibiaWeb/>

Family '''Scolecomorphidae'''
* Genus '''''Crotaphatrema''''' Nussbaum, 1985
** ''[[Crotaphatrema bornmuelleri]]'' (Werner, 1899), Bornmuller's caecilian, Cameroon
** ''[[Crotaphatrema lamottei]]'' (Nussbaum, 1981), Mont Oku caecilian, Cameroon
** ''[[Crotaphatrema tchabalmbaboensis]]'' Lawson, 2000, Cameroon
* Genus '''''Scolecomorphus''''' Boulenger, 1883
** ''[[Scolecomorphus kirkii]]'' Boulenger, 1883, Kirk's caecilian or Lake Tanganyika caecilian, East Africa
** ''[[Scolecomorphus uluguruensis]]'' Barbour and Loveridge, 1928, Uluguru black caecilian or Nyingwa caecilian, Tanzania
** ''[[Scolecomorphus vittatus]]'' (Boulenger, 1895), ribbon caecilian or banded caecilian, Tanzania

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name=AmphibiaWeb>{{cite web |url=http://www.amphibiaweb.org/lists/Scolecomorphidae.shtml|title=Scolecomorphidae |year=2019 |work=AmphibiaWeb |publisher=University of California, Berkeley |access-date=30 July 2019}}</ref>

<ref name=Frost>{{cite web |url=http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/Amphibia/Gymnophiona/Scolecomorphidae |title=Scolecomorphidae Taylor, 1969 |author=Frost, Darrel R. |year=2019 |work=Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 |publisher=American Museum of Natural History |access-date=30 July 2019}}</ref>
}}

*Nussbaum, Ronald A. and Mark Wilkinson (1989). "On the Classification and Phylogeny of Caecilians." Herpetological Monographs, (3), 1-42
*{{cite journal
| last = San Mauro
| first = Diego
| title = Phylogeny of caecilian amphibians (Gymnophiona) based on complete mitochondrial genomes and nuclear RAG1
| doi = 10.1016/j.ympev.2004.05.014
| journal = Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
| volume = 33
| pages = 413–427
|date=November 2004 |author2=David J. Gower |author3=Oommen V. Oommen |author4=Mark Wilkinson |author5=Rafael Zardoya
| pmid = 15336675
| issue = 2
| bibcode = 2004MolPE..33..413S
}}
*{{cite journal
| last = San Mauro
| first = Diego
|author2=Miguel Vences |author3=Marina Alcobendas |author4=Rafael Zardoya |author5=Axel Meyer
| title = Initial diversification of living amphibians predated the breakup of Pangaea
| journal = American Naturalist
| volume = 165
| pages = 590–599
| date = May 2005 | doi = 10.1086/429523
| pmid = 15795855
| issue = 5
| bibcode = 2005ANat..165..590S
|url=https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/3880726/39160_170248y.pdf}}
*{{cite journal
| doi = 10.1093/sysbio/syp043
| last = San Mauro
| first = Diego
| author2=David J. Gower |author3=Tim Massingham |author4=Mark Wilkinson |author5=Rafael Zardoya |author6=James A. Cotton
| title = Experimental design in caecilian systematics: phylogenetic information of mitochondrial genomes and nuclear rag1
| journal = Systematic Biology
| volume = 58
| issue = 4
| pages = 425–438
| date = August 2009 | pmid = 20525595
| citeseerx = 10.1.1.577.2856
}}
{{Lissamphibia}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q387119}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Scolecomorphidae| ]]
[[Category:Amphibian families]]
[[Category:Amphibians of Sub-Saharan Africa]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Edward Harrison Taylor]]

Scolecomorphidae - Revision history

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