noun
- Tropical amphibians resembling worms or snakes, with moist skin and no limbs or very small limbs, belonging to the order Gymnophiona.
Usage: plural of caecilian; also spelled cecilians; zoological term
Examples
- Caecilians are often mistaken for snakes or worms because of their elongated, limbless bodies.
- Scientists discovered several new species of caecilians in the Amazon rainforest.
- Unlike frogs and salamanders, caecilians spend most of their lives underground or in water.
- Caecilians have small eyes and rely more on smell and touch to navigate their environment.
- The fossorial lifestyle of caecilians makes them difficult to study in the wild.