Uraeotyphlus oommeni | |
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Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Gymnophiona |
Clade: | Apoda |
Family: | Ichthyophiidae |
Genus: | Uraeotyphlus |
Species: | U. oommeni
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Binomial name | |
Uraeotyphlus oommeni |
Uraeotyphlus oommeni, sometimes known as the Oommen's caecilian, [1] [3] Oommen's Uraeotyphlus, [2] or Bonnacord caecilian, [4] is a species of caecilian in the family Ichthyophiidae. [3] [5] Within Uraeotyphlus, it belongs to the U. malabaricus group showing no obvious external differentiation between primary and higher-order annuli. [2] This species is endemic to the Western Ghats and only known from its type locality, Bonaccord, Thiruvananthapuram district, southern Kerala. [3] Very little is known about this species known only from a single specimen collected from an imprecise location. [1]
The specific name oommeni honours Oommen V. Oommen, professor of zoology at the University of Kerala. [2] [6]
The holotype is a mature female measuring 164 mm (6.5 in) in total length and 7 mm (0.3 in) wide at mid-body. There are 207 (left side) and 214 (right side) annuli, without clear external differentiation between primary and higher-order annuli. The body is strongly dorsoventrally compressed. The head is small and pointed. The eyes are clearly visible. The preserved specimen has lilac-brown anterior part of the body, becoming paler towards the head. The darker dorsal colouration grades through lighter brown to cream-tan ventrally. [2]
The precise location where this species was collected on the Bonaccord estate in 1987 is unknown. [1] [2] It is probably similar to other members of the genus, which are oviparous, lay terrestrial eggs, and are subterranean as adults. Threats to this species are unknown. [1]