APODA

one of the major extant orders of the class Amphibia. Its members are known as caecilians. The majority of this group of wormlike amphibians live underground in humid tropical regions throughout the world. Because of their low profile, caecilians are unfamiliar to the layperson and are not usually considered in discussions about amphibians. They are nevertheless a fascinating group of highly specialized amphibians about which there is still much to be learned. Additional reading Edward H. Taylor, The Caecilians of the World: A Taxonomic Review (1968), is a comprehensive account of the order. Other treatments can be found in William E. Duellman and Linda Trueb, Biology of Amphibians (1986, reissued 1994); and Darrel R. Frost (ed.), Amphibian Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (1985). William E. Duellman