Yunnan Caecilian (Ichthyophis bannanica)

Habitat: reside in dense woods of earth hills in-between el. 200 and 600 m and it likes to live in grassland in mountain streams or ponds with rich soil. It builds its own caves.

Feeding habits: it hides by day and comes out by night. It feeds on worms and larvae of insects.

Features: its body is like a worm or an earthworm. It has no limbs or tails. Because it lives in caves, its eyes have degenerated to under the skin. There is a synapse in-between its eyes and its snout. It has 360 wrinkles around its body. Its back is of brownish black with yellow vertical stripes. Its full length is about 380 mm.

Category: Amphibia, Apoda, Ichthyophidae

Distribution: Xishuangbanna of Yunnan, parts of Guangxi and Guangdong.

Protection level: key protection animal of Yunnan province.