Kirk's Caecilian

## About

A Kirk's caecilian on a leaf.

The Kirk's caecilian ***(Scolecomorphus kirikii)*** also known as the Lake Tanganyika caecilian, is an unusual species of worm-like amphibian belonging to the order Gymnophiona. The colouration present on the Kirk's caecilian is similar to that of an earthworm, where the species has a purplish-dark brown dorsum, which progresses into a lighter pinkish shade on its sides and underbelly. The brighter colouration of this species when compared to other species of caecilians, suggests that the Kirk's caecilian is an aposematic species. This means that the animal's colouration acts as a way to deter predators from ingesting it, similarly to many species of frog. 130-152 primary annuli run down the caecilian's entire body length, with the exception of its head and snout. Though these annuli appear to be segments, they are actually just deep skin folds, which encircle the caecilian's width. The eyes of the Kirk's caecilian may appear in a vestigial state however, in reality, they are not present on the face, but rather the animal's facial 'tentacles'. Tis allows the eyes to be externally projected outside the skull. Kirk's caecilians typically measure to 215–463mm (8.5–18.2in) from snout to tail.

## Diet

Kirk's caecilians are insectivorous and hunt in fossorial environments rather than aquatic ones, meaning they burrow in order to discover and catch thaie prey. The diet of the Kirk's caecilian is mostly made up of small species of arthropods as well as possibly earth matter, such as soil.

## Conservation Status

It is unlikely that the Kirk's caecilian is threatened immediately by anything and it is classed as least concern by the IUCN. Despite this, the IUCN eludes that possible threats may include habitat degradation and deforestation. Most notably, the conversion of wilderness into agricultural plantations and similar urban structures.

## Range and Population

The Kirk's caecilian is known from regions of eastern Africa, including the countries of northern Mozambique, southern Malawi and most frequently, Tanzania. In these countries, the species is known most commonly from the Nguru, Uluguru and Udzungwa mountain ranges. Within these areas, the Kirk's caecilian is known to inhabit areas of rainforest, including montane and sub-montane forest as well as other mountainous tropical environments at elevations of at least 500m (1640.42ft). Unlike many other caecilian species, the Kirk's caecilian is not in any form aquatic, being independent from wetland environments. The population of the Kirk's caecilian is unknown however, is thought to be large and abundant within its range, warranting its conservation status.

## Behaviour

The Kirk's caecilian is unique among other caecilian species, not only in the fact that it does not inhabit aquatic environments, but also in that this species is viviparous. The term viviparous refers to a species that is known to give live birth, a characteristic which is seldom-documented in caecilians and amphibian species overall. In addition to giving live birth, the young are birthed outside of water, due to the species independence from aquatic environments. It is unknown as to whether the juveniles are born fully developed, or undergo a larval stage and transformation.

### Relationship with Humans

A very small amount of Kirk's caecilians have been found in the pet trade. This is likely the only extent that the species' relationship with humans reaches and it is currently unknown whether captivity poses a threat to the species.

## In Captivity

As previous stated, the species is seldom-circulated in the pet trade and is likely present in exotic pet collections. The Kirk's caecilian cannot however, be considered a popular zoo species, as it is not found in a single facility worldwide.

## Sources

* Scolecomorphus kirkii | Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scolecomorphus\_kirkii
* IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/59651/16944395
* Scolecomorphus kirkii | Amphibia Web - https://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib\_query?where-scientific\_name=Scolecomorphus+kirkii&rel-scientific\_name=contains&include\_synonymies=Yes