Surf Wiki
Save to docs
general/reptiles-of-puerto-rico

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Amphisbaena caeca

Species of reptile

Species of reptile

Amphisbaena caeca, commonly known as the Puerto Rican worm lizard or blind worm lizard, is a species of worm lizard endemic to Puerto Rico. These animals are vermicular reptiles that live under logs, rocks, and dirt. Other species of Amphisbaenids in the Caribbean include Amphisbaena bakeri, Amphisbaena fenestrata, Amphisbaena schmidti, Amphisbaena xera, and Cadea blanoides.

Amphisbaenids are legless, worm-like reptiles with elongated bodies nearly uniform in diameter. They are covered with ring-like scales similar in appearance to earthworms. They are underground animals, hence the eyes have degenerated to tiny indistinct spots under the rings.

Description

Amphisbaena caeca is pinkish-brown on the head and tail, with dark spots on each of the scales found throughout its annuli (body rings), of which there are between 214 and 237 in this species. This helps distinguish it from A. bakeri, whose annuli count is greater. It is one of the two largest amphisbaenids on the island (the other being A. bakeri), measuring up to 10 in in snout to vent length (SVL). Like other members of its clade, it has only one median tooth. Because it is somewhat difficult to distinguish its head from its tail, it is sometimes referred to as a "two-headed snake" ("culebra de dos cabezas") by Puerto Rican locals. According to folklore, wearing a live Amphisbaena on the body "helps safeguard pregnancy" while wearing a dead snake "helps rheumatism".

Habits

They can be found burrowing in the ground under logs, rocks, old tree stumps, and under termite and ant nests.

Habitat

They live in dense woodlands, thickets, and caves.

Geographic range

The distribution of this species is the widest of any amphisbaenid in Puerto Rico, being found throughout the central mountainous region of the island up to an elevation of 2,200 ft. They have also been found in Isla Vieques, Isla Culebra, and the Virgin Islands.

References

References

  1. Rodriguez, C., Joglar, R. & Thomas, R. 2016. Amphisbaena caeca (errata version published in 2017). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T74855063A115480153. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T74855063A75171286.en. Downloaded on 12 March 2019.
  2. (2006). "Guía para la identificación de largartos y culebras de Puerto Rico". La Editorial Universidad de Puerto Rico.
  3. [https://archive.today/20120801112757/http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPyhQoY6BdkOyoCAGixyPg!/?navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=fsbdev3_043063&navid=150130000000000&pnavid=150000000000000&ss=110819&position=Not usda.gov] Yet Determined.Html&ttype=detail&pname=El Yunque National Forest- Nature {{PD-notice}}
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

reptiles-of-puerto-rico amphisbaena-(lizard) reptiles-described-in-1829 taxa-named-by-georges-cuvier
Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Amphisbaena caeca — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report