Ichthyophis bombayensis With Eggs

On 20, september of this year, during a butterfly survay at the Muthenga wildlife scantuary in waynad(Kerala), an unstriped caecilian (legless amphibian) was found under a piece of log, coiled around its eggs. The caecilian was around 45 cm long. The body was slaty brown above, lighter below. The position of the tentacle was just above the lip and closer to the eye than the nostrils. The first nucal groove was more prominent ventrally while the second was indistinct and visible only ventrally. Since the specimen was not disturbed around 44 eggs were counted. The eggs were transparent and the well developed embryo was seen moving inside the egg. The species was later identified as Ichthyophis bombayensis. Until recently 4 species of unstriped caecilians were known from the Western Ghats. Presently the DNA sequencing of these species revealed that the 4 species are closely related and the other 3 species(I.malabarensis, I. penensularis and I.
subterrestris) are now synonymised with Ichthyophis bombayensis.

Though few of the other groups were able to sight Tigers, Leopards and other game animals, I consider myself to be extremly lucky to find this enigmatic amphibian coiled around its eggs in the wild. I agree that many of the large mammals are endangered and need to be conserved. But we should not forget the smaller, less conspicuous animals.