Any of 155 species of wormlike amphibian s found in humid regions from Mexico to northern Argentina and in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Seychelles.
The elongate, ringed, limbless body is 4–60 in. (10–150 cm) long. Colour ranges from blackish to pinkish tan. The tiny eyes are covered by skin and often by bone. A chemosensory projection lies between the eye and nostril. Some species lay eggs, which are guarded by the female and hatch into free-living larvae; other species bear live young. Caecilians spend their lives underground and eat worms and insects.