AnimalTracks.wiki

What the sources say

Ringed CaecilianSiphonops annulatus

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Ringed Caecilian profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 49 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

Profile updated

Source
01

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023

Siphonops annulatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T59593A180649042.

The page saysLeast Concern
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).Note: stats.conservationStatus; GBIF copy of the Red List
The page saysThe IUCN Red List rates it Least Concern.
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).Note: body; assessment year dropped: the cached GBIF copy gives the category only, the DOI is the 2023-1 edition

Source
02

Wilkinson et al. 2008

Wilkinson et al. (2008). One hundred million years of skin feeding? Extended parental care in a Neotropical caecilian (Amphibia: Gymnophiona). Biology Letters.

The page saysBiologists call this maternal dermatophagy, which just means skin eating by offspring.
The source saysMaternal dermatophagy, the eating of maternal skin by offspring
The page saysBoth sides are specialised: the mother's skin changes, and the hatchlings carry "fetal" teeth
The source sayscharacterized by the same syndrome of maternal and offspring specializations
The page saysResearchers think this kind of skin feeding has probably persisted in several caecilian lineages for more than 100 million years.
The source saysskin feeding is an ancient form of parental care in caecilians, which has probably persisted in multiple lineages for more than 100 Myr

Source
03

Mailho-Fontana et al. 2024

Mailho-Fontana et al. (2024). Milk provisioning in oviparous caecilian amphibians. Science.

The page saysand drink milk from her vent
The source saysS. annulatus babies ingested milk released through the maternal ventNote: tagline
The page saysMothers feed hatchlings with their own skin and a lipid-rich milk released from the vent
The source saysfemales of the egg-laying caecilian amphibian Siphonops annulatus provide similarly lipid-rich milk to altricial hatchlings during parental careNote: stats.superpower
The page saysFor about two months the young drink milk that the mother lets out through her vent
The source saysWe observed that for 2 months, S. annulatus babies ingested milk released through the maternal vent seemingly in response to tactile and acoustic stimulation by the babies.
The page saysThe milk is mostly lipids and carbohydrates.
The source saysThe milk, composed mainly of lipids and carbohydrates
The page saysMothers of this egg-laying amphibian release a fatty milk through the vent for about two months, and the hatchlings swallow it.
The source saysfor 2 months, S. annulatus babies ingested milk released through the maternal vent
The page saysenlarged glands lining the mother's oviduct
The source saysoriginates from the maternal oviduct epithelium's hypertrophied glands
The page saysapparently prompted by the babies touching her and making sounds
The source saysseemingly in response to tactile and acoustic stimulation by the babies
The page saysRinged caecilian babies do.
The source saysS. annulatus babies ingested milk released through the maternal vent
The page saysThe milk is mostly lipids and carbohydrates
The source saysThe milk, composed mainly of lipids and carbohydratesNote: faq 1

Source
04

Jared et al. 2018

Jared et al. (2018). Life history and reproduction of the neotropical caecilian Siphonops annulatus (Amphibia, Gymnophiona, Siphonopidae), with special emphasis on parental care. Acta Zoologica.

The page sayswhose newborns eat their mother's skin
The source saysthe altricial young feed on the mother's specially modified skin (maternal dermatophagy)Note: tagline
The page saysThe hatchlings are altricial, meaning helpless at birth, and they feed on her specially modified skin.
The source saysthe altricial young feed on the mother's specially modified skin (maternal dermatophagy)
The page saysIn the studied population, pairs mate from late August to early October, and females lay eggs in November and December, at the peak of the rains.
The source saysIn the studied population, mating occurs between the end of August and beginning of October, and oviposition between November and December, when rainfall peaks
The page saysThey hatch around the turn of the year.
The source saysEgg hatching occurs between the end of December and beginning of January.
The page saysFrom laying to independent young, the mother's care lasts about three months.
The source saysThe complete cycle of maternal care, from oviposition to independent, self‐sufficient offspring lasts about 3 months.
The page saysA ringed caecilian's babies dine on their mother.
The source saysthe altricial young feed on the mother's specially modified skin (maternal dermatophagy)Note: rhetorical lead; the next sentence says it is her skin

Source
05

Jared et al. 2018

Jared et al. (2018). Skin gland concentrations adapted to different evolutionary pressures in the head and posterior regions of the caecilian Siphonops annulatus. Scientific Reports.

The page saysabout 40 cm long
The source saysEight adult Siphonops annulatus (375–452 mm, mean 410 ± SD 25 mm)Note: tagline; mean 410 mm rounded to about 40 cm
The page saysEight adults collected in Bahia, Brazil measured 375 to 452 millimetres, averaging 410.
The source saysEight adult Siphonops annulatus (375–452 mm, mean 410 ± SD 25 mm) were collected in Ilhéus (BA)Note: Ilhéus is in Bahia (hand knowledge; the paper's own text says 'State of Bahia' for the cacao site)
The page saysthat collagen anchors the skin into tiny pits in the skull bones
The source saysextend into the pits of the skull anchoring the skin to the skull
The page saysThe authors suggest the glands, together with the head's shape, lubricate the body and help it push into soil.
The source saysThe anterior macrogland of mucous glands, rich in mucous/lipid secretion, in conjunction with the funnel-shaped head, may act to lubricate the body and penetrate the soil
The page saysIts tunnels are always coated in a shiny, slippery film.
The source saysthe tunnels built by S. annulatus are always lined with a shiny and slippery secretion
The page saysNear the vent the poison glands are much enlarged, about 2.2 millimetres tall, and fill practically the whole dermis
The source saystoward the cloacal region, the poison glands are much enlarged (about 2.2 mm in height), occupying practically the entire volume of the dermis
The page saysThe blunt rear end may serve in chemical defence, or by blocking a tunnel against invaders.
The source saysThe blunt posterior end bearing an internalized macrogland of poison glands in the dermis may act in chemical defense and/or by blocking invasion of tunnels.
The page saysEarlier experiments showed the skin secretions, from the head and from the rear, were toxic to a toad, a frog, a rat and even the caecilian itself.
The source saysSawaya 23 experimentally demonstrated the poison of this species, both the mucous (extracted from the head) and the granular (extracted from the posterior region), is toxic to the caecilian itself, the toad ( Rhinella icterica ), the frog ( Leptodactylus ocellatus ) and the rat
The page saysEight adults collected in Bahia, Brazil ranged from 375 to 452 mm and averaged 410 mm
The source saysEight adult Siphonops annulatus (375–452 mm, mean 410 ± SD 25 mm)
The page saysA legless burrower
The source saysCaecilians are limbless amphibians comprising the Order GymnophionaNote: tagline; order-wide trait, holds for the species
The page saysIn the head region, enlarged mucous glands
The source sayswe observed a concentration of enlarged mucous glands in the head region
The page sayswhich make slippery goo
The source saysthe lubricant mucous/lipid secretion produced by the mucous glands is spread over the body
The page sayssit inside honeycomb walls of collagen
The source saysThe skin glands in these regions are each surrounded by collagen walls forming a honeycomb-like structure.
The page saysIt lives underground, and its funnel-shaped head forces a way through the soil.
The source saysWhile the funnel-form head mechanically opens the way through the soil
The page saysThe poison is packed into the rear end.
The source saysIn the posterior region of the body a similar concentration is made up of enlarged poison glands.
The page saysThe ringed caecilian forces its way through soil head first, using a funnel-shaped head as a digging tool
The source saysWhile the funnel-form head mechanically opens the way through the soilNote: vibe.reason

Source
06

Mauricio et al. 2021

Mauricio et al. (2021). Morphology of the Cutaneous Poison and Mucous Glands in Amphibians with Particular Emphasis on Caecilians (Siphonops annulatus). Toxins.

The page saysMoist soil and leaf litter across South America east of the Andes
The source saysS. annulatus remains in the soil, under the thick and moist leaf litter covering the forest floorNote: stats.habitat; observed at the Bahia cacao-plantation study site
The page saysEarthworms and ground meat, as fed in captivity
The source saysfed weekly with earthworms and ground beef or chickenNote: stats.diet
The page saysIn captivity, researchers fed it weekly on earthworms and ground beef or chicken.
The source saysfed weekly with earthworms and ground beef or chicken

Source
07

Biodiversity Literature Repository, Plazi

Siphonops annulatus Mikan 1820 (taxonomic treatment from Maciel and Hoogmoed 2011, Zootaxa 2984). Biodiversity Literature Repository, Plazi.

The page saysMoist soil and leaf litter across South America east of the Andes
The source saysCis-Andean South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela)Note: stats.habitat and body; cis-Andean glossed as east of the Andes
The page saysthe hatchlings carry "fetal" teeth in three rows on the lower jaw
The source says"Fetal" teeth in hatchlings in three rows on lower jaw
The page saysa body 17 to 26 times longer than wide
The source saysTL 17-26 times BW
The page sayswith 78 to 98 ring-shaped grooves called annuli
The source saysAnnuli 78-98 (Taylor, 1973). Annular grooves completely encircling body
The page saysA 2011 taxonomic study called it the caecilian with the largest reported distribution
The source saysThe caecilian with the largest reported distributionNote: year is the Zootaxa 2984 publication year (2011), named in the reference title
The page saysIn Brazil it turns up in the Caatinga, Atlantic forest, Cerrado and Amazonia.
The source saysIn Brazil this species is recorded from Caatinga (Freitas & Silva, 2007), Atlantic forest (Taylor, 1968; M.S. Hoogmoed, pers. obs.), Cerrado, and from Amazonia
The page saysIts moisture needs are lower than those of many other caecilians
The source saysits moisture requirements are less than those of many other caecilians
The page saysit has been found under rotting oil palm trunks even in grazed pastures
The source saysunder decomposing trunks of African oil palms, even in grazed pastures
The page saysBetween 78 and 98, by one species description's count.
The source saysAnnuli 78-98 (Taylor, 1973)
The page saysThe ring-shaped grooves wrap right around the body, except for three or four near the vent.
The source saysAnnular grooves completely encircling body, except for three or four near vent

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.