''Caecilia inca'' is a species of

caecilian Caecilians (; ) are a group of limbless, vermiform or serpentine amphibians. They mostly live hidden in the ground and in stream substrates, making them the least familiar order of amphibians. Caecilians are mostly distributed in the tropics of ...

in the family

Caeciliidae Caeciliidae is the family of common caecilians. They are found in Central and South America. Like other caecilians, they superficially resemble worms or snakes. Although they are the most diverse of the caecilian families, the caeciliids do ha ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

and only known from the

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...

collected in 1944 from "Fundo Sinchona" in the

Loreto Region Loreto () is Peru's northernmost department and region. Covering almost one-third of Peru's territory, Loreto is by far the nation's largest department; it is also one of the most sparsely populated regions due to its remote location in the Ama ...

. There are doubts regarding taxonomic validity of this species. Common name Fundo Sinchona caecilian has been coined for it.

Description

The holotype, a male, measures in length and has a body width of about . There are 158 incomplete primary folds; secondary folds are absent. The eye is slightly visible externally. The head is somewhat narrowed towards the rounded snout tip. The nostril are small but clearly visible from above the head. There is an unsegmented terminal "shield" but no tail. The body is partly covered by scales. Coloration is grayish slate, with a hint of yellowish olive ventrolaterally.

Habitat and conservation

''Caecilia inca'' is a subterranean species inhabiting lowland moist tropical forest. The exact location of the type locality is uncertain, as is consequently its altitudinal range. The area around the type locality has probably been degraded by agricultural activities and urbanization, but there is no information of population trend of this species.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2236986

inca The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...

Amphibians of Peru Endemic fauna of Peru Taxa named by Edward Harrison Taylor Amphibians described in 1973 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot