''Ichthyophis tricolor'', the three-colored caecilian or Maddatorai caecilian, is an

amphibian Amphibians are tetrapod, four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the Class (biology), class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terres ...

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 ...

to the Western Ghats, India. Its taxonomic status is unclear, including its relationship with ''

Ichthyophis beddomei ''Ichthyophis beddomei'' is a species of caecilian in the family Ichthyophiidae. This species is distributed widely in the Western Ghats in southern India. The nominal species might be a composite of several cryptic species. It is also known a ...

'' and the possibility of cryptic species.

Description

Adult measure in total length, including the long tail. Its body is violet-brown, with a yellow lateral stripe from the lips to the tip of the tail, slightly wider and unbroken at the neck. A broad, white ventral stripe is present. Its snout is slightly projecting, the eyes are distinct, and the tentacles are placed closer to the eye at the edge of the upper lip.

Habitat and conservation

''Ichthyophis tricolor'' is a subterranean species associated with wet, semi-evergreen tropical forests, but also agricultural areas and rubber plantations. It occurs from near sea level up to

asl American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States of America and most of Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual language that is express ...

. It is an

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...

species with terrestrial eggs and aquatic larvae. ''Ichthyophis tricolor'' is not uncommon in parts of its range. It is an adaptable species that occurs in several protected areas.

References

External links

Image: Ichthyophis tricolor
{{Taxonbar, from=Q643401 tricolor Amphibians of India Endemic fauna of the Western Ghats Taxa named by Nelson Annandale Amphibians described in 1909