Gymnophiona (Caecilians)
Family: Caeciliidae
| Scientific Name | Author/s | Common Name | Last Record | Distribution | Status | Taxon Profile |
| Oscaecilia osae | Lahanas & Savage, 1992 | Airstrip caecilian, Osa caecilian | (rediscovered) | Costa Rica | Rediscovered | Access |
Family: Dermophiidae
| Scientific Name | Author/s | Common Name | Last Record | Distribution | Status | Taxon Profile |
| Dermophis oaxacae | (Mertens, 1930) | Oaxacan caecilian | (rediscovered) | Mexico | Rediscovered | Access |
Family: Grandisoniidae (=Indotyphlidae)
| Scientific Name | Author/s | Common Name | Last Record | Distribution | Status | Taxon Profile |
| Gegeneophis seshachari | Ravichandran, Gower & Wilkinson, 2003 | Seshachari's caecilian | (rediscovered) | Dorle Village, Ratnagiri District, Maharashtra State, Western Ghats, India | Rediscovered | Access |
| Idiocranium russeli | Parker, 1936 | Makamunu Assumbo caecilian | (rediscovered) | Cameroon (southwestern) | Rediscovered | Access |
Family: Herpelidae
| Scientific Name | Author/s | Common Name | Last Record | Distribution | Status | Taxon Profile |
| Boulengerula denhardti | Nieden, 1912 | Denhardti’s caecilian | (rediscovered) | Kenya | Rediscovered | Access |
| Boulengerula fischeri | Nussbaum & Hinkel, 1994 | Fischer's African caecilian | (rediscovered) | Cyangugu Prefecture, Rwanda | Rediscovered | Access |
| Herpele multiplicata | Nieden, 1912 | Victoria caecilian | pre-1913 | Cameroon | Missing | Access |
Family: Ichthyophiidae
| Scientific Name | Author/s | Common Name | Last Record | Distribution | Status | Taxon Profile |
| Ichthyophis biangularis | Taylor, 1965 | Metang caecilian, Angular caecilian | (rediscovered) | Sarawak, Malaysia | Rediscovered | Access |
|
Ichthyophis billitonensis |
Taylor, 1965 | Billiton caecilian | (rediscovered) | Belitung Island, Indonesia | Rediscovered | Access |
| Ichthyophis husaini | Pillai & Ravichandran, 1999 | Husain's caecilian | 1983 | Garo Hills, Meghalaya state, India | Invalid (synonym) | Access |
| Ichthyophis hypocyaneus | (Boie, 1827) | Javan caecilian, Javanese caecilian, Marsh caecilian | (rediscovered) | Java (=Jawa), Indonesia | Rediscovered | Access |
| Ichthyophis longicephalus | Pillai, 1986 | Long-headed caecilian | (rediscovered) | Kerala, India | Rediscovered | Access |
| Ichthyophis weberi | Taylor, 1920 | Malatgan River caecilian | (rediscovered) | Palawan Island, Philippines | Rediscovered | Access |
| Uraeotyphlus interruptus | Pillai & Ravichandran, 1999 | Chengalam caecilian | 1992 | Kerala, India | Missing | Access |
| Uraeotyphlus malabaricus | (Beddome, 1870) | Malabar caecilian, Nilgiris caecilian, White-lipped caecilian | 1870 | Malabar, India | Missing | Access |
| Uraeotyphlus menoni | Annandale, 1913 | Menon’s caecilian, Kerala caecilian | pre-1914 | Cochin, India | Missing | Access |
| Uraeotyphlus narayani | Seshachar, 1939 | Narayan’s caecilian, Kannan caecilian | pre-1940 | Kerala, India | Rediscovered or relocated or never missing | Access |
| Uraeotyphlus oommeni | Gower and Wilkinson, 2007 | Oommen’s caecilian | 1987 | Kerala, India | Missing | Access |
| Uraeotyphlus oxyurus | (Dumeril & Bibron, 1841) | Red caecilian, Dark-brown caecilian, Pale-throated caecilian, Sharp-nosed caecilian, Sharp-tailed caecilian | pre-1842 | Malabar, India | Missing | Access |
Family: Rhinatrematidae
| Scientific Name | Author/s | Common Name | Last Record | Distribution | Status | Taxon Profile |
| Epicrionops columbianus | Rendahl & Vestergren, 1938 | El Tambo caecilian | ? | Colombia | Missing | Access |
| Epicrionops lativittatus | Taylor, 1968 | Eastern caecilian | pre-1969 | "eastern Peru" | Missing | Access |
| Epicrionops marmoratus | Taylor, 1968 | - | ? | Colombia & Ecuador | Rediscovered? | Access |
| Epicrionops parkeri | Dunn, 1942 | Parker's caecilian | ? | Colombia | Missing | Access |
| Rhinatrema bivittatum | (Guérin-Méneville, 1829) | Two banded caecilian, Two-lined caecilian | (rediscovered) | Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana & Surinam(e) | Rediscovered | Access |
Family: Siphonopidae
| Scientific Name | Author/s | Common Name | Last Record | Distribution | Status | Taxon Profile |
| Siphonops leucoderus | Taylor, 1968 | Salvador caecilian | ? | Brazil | Missing if valid | Access |
Family: Typhlonectidae
| Scientific Name | Author/s | Common Name | Last Record | Distribution | Status | Taxon Profile |
| Aretochoana eiselti | Taylor, 1968 | - | (rediscovered) | Brazil | Rediscovered | Access |
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Detailed Presentation
Family: Caeciliidae (2 genera; 44 recent species)
| Scientific Name | Author/s | Common Name | Last Record | Distribution | Status | Taxon Profile |
| Oscaecilia osae | Lahanas & Savage, 1992 | Airstrip caecilian, Osa caecilian | (rediscovered) | Costa Rica | Rediscovered | Access |
Family: Chikilidae (1 genus; 4 recent species)
—No subordinate taxa
Family: Dermophiidae (4 genera; 14 recent species)
| Scientific Name | Author/s | Common Name | Last Record | Distribution | Status | Taxon Profile |
| Dermophis oaxacae | (Mertens, 1930) | Oaxacan caecilian | (rediscovered) | Mexico | Rediscovered | Access |
Family: Grandisoniidae (=Indotyphlidae) (7 genera; 24 recent species)
| Scientific Name | Author/s | Common Name | Last Record | Distribution | Status | Taxon Profile |
| Gegeneophis seshachari | Ravichandran, Gower & Wilkinson, 2003 | Seshachari's caecilian | (rediscovered) | Dorle Village, Ratnagiri District, Maharashtra State, Western Ghats, India | Rediscovered | Access |
| Idiocranium russeli | Parker, 1936 | Makamunu Assumbo caecilian | (rediscovered) | Cameroon (southwestern) | Rediscovered | Access |
Family: Herpelidae (2 genera; 10 recent species)
| Scientific Name | Author/s | Common Name | Last Record | Distribution | Status | Taxon Profile |
| Boulengerula denhardti | Nieden, 1912 | Denhardti’s caecilian | (rediscovered) | Kenya | Rediscovered | Access |
| Boulengerula fischeri | Nussbaum & Hinkel, 1994 | Fischer's African caecilian | (rediscovered) | Cyangugu Prefecture, Rwanda | Rediscovered | Access |
| Herpele multiplicata | Nieden, 1912 | Victoria caecilian | pre-1913 | Cameroon | Missing | Access |
Family: Ichthyophiidae (2 genera; 57 recent species)
| Scientific Name | Author/s | Common Name | Last Record | Distribution | Status | Taxon Profile |
| Ichthyophis biangularis | Taylor, 1965 | Metang caecilian, Angular caecilian | (rediscovered) | Sarawak, Malaysia | Rediscovered | Access |
| Ichthyophis husaini | Pillai & Ravichandran, 1999 | Husain's caecilian | 1983 | Garo Hills, Meghalaya state, India | Invalid (synonym) | Access |
| Ichthyophis hypocyaneus | (Boie, 1827) | Javan caecilian, Javanese caecilian, Marsh caecilian | (rediscovered) | Java (=Jawa), Indonesia | Rediscovered | Access |
| Ichthyophis longicephalus | Pillai, 1986 | Long-headed caecilian | (rediscovered) | Kerala, India | Rediscovered | Access |
| Ichthyophis weberi | Taylor, 1920 | Malatgan River caecilian | (rediscovered) | Palawan Island, Philippines | Rediscovered | Access |
| Uraeotyphlus interruptus | Pillai & Ravichandran, 1999 | Chengalam caecilian | 1992 | Kerala, India | Missing | Access |
| Uraeotyphlus malabaricus | (Beddome, 1870) | Malabar caecilian, Nilgiris caecilian, White-lipped caecilian | 1870 | Malabar, India | Missing | Access |
| Uraeotyphlus menoni | Annandale, 1913 | Menon’s caecilian, Kerala caecilian | pre-1914 | Cochin, India | Missing | Access |
| Uraeotyphlus narayani | Seshachar, 1939 | Narayan’s caecilian, Kannan caecilian | pre-1940 | Kerala, India | Rediscovered or relocated or never missing | Access |
| Uraeotyphlus oommeni | Gower and Wilkinson, 2007 | Oommen’s caecilian | 1987 | Kerala, India | Missing | Access |
| Uraeotyphlus oxyurus | (Dumeril & Bibron, 1841) | Red caecilian, Dark-brown caecilian, Pale-throated caecilian, Sharp-nosed caecilian, Sharp-tailed caecilian | pre-1842 | Malabar, India | Missing | Access |
Family: Rhinatrematidae (3 genera; 14 recent species)
| Scientific Name | Author/s | Common Name | Last Record | Distribution | Status | Taxon Profile |
| Epicrionops columbianus | Rendahl & Vestergren, 1938 | El Tambo caecilian | ? | Colombia | Missing | Access |
| Epicrionops lativittatus | Taylor, 1968 | Eastern caecilian | pre-1969 | "eastern Peru" | Missing | Access |
| Epicrionops marmoratus | Taylor, 1968 | ? | Colombia & Ecuador | Rediscovered? | Access | |
| Epicrionops parkeri | Dunn, 1942 | Parker's caecilian | ? | Colombia | Missing | Access |
| Rhinatrema bivittatum | (Guérin-Méneville, 1829) | Two banded caecilian, Two-lined caecilian | (rediscovered) | Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana & Surinam(e) | Rediscovered | Access |
Family: Scolecomorphidae (2 genera; 6 recent species)
—No subordinate taxa
Family: Siphonopidae (5 genera; 28 recent species)
| Scientific Name | Author/s | Common Name | Last Record | Distribution | Status | Taxon Profile |
| Siphonops leucoderus | Taylor, 1968 | Salvador caecilian | ? | Brazil | Missing if valid | Access |
Family: Typhlonectidae (5 genera; 14 recent species)
| Scientific Name | Author/s | Common Name | Last Record | Distribution | Status | Taxon Profile |
| Aretochoana eiselti | Taylor, 1968 | - | (rediscovered) | Brazil | Rediscovered | Access |
Statistics
Based upon 215 recent species as of November 2022 (Amphibian Species of the World).
| Conservation status | Number of species |
| Extinct | 0 (0%) |
| Missing | 9 (4.19%) |
| Rediscovered (viable population) | 0 (0.0%) |
| Rediscovered (viability unknown) | 12 (5.58%) |
| Rediscovered (non-viable) | 0 (0%) |
| Extinct in the wild (viable reintroduction) | 0 (0%) |
| Extinct in the wild (non-viable reintroduction: habitat loss) | 0 (0%) |
| Extinct in the wild (non-viable reintroduction: other) | 0 (0%) |
| Uncertain status (extinct, missing, rediscovered) | 2 (0.93%) |
| Uncertain status (taxonomic validity) | 1 (0.465%) |
| Erroneously listed | 0 (0%) |
| Invalid | 1 (not applicable) |
Discussion
As most caecilians are subterranean/fossorial, finding them is often by chance. And hence there is serious potential for species to disappear from the human record for long periods. This is borne out by the fact that 10.7% of all known recent species are either missing, have had to be rediscovered, or have uncertain status. Slightly more species have been rediscovered than are missing (11 vs. 9), though the discrepancy may be even more pronounced in the future as a number of species in the genus Uraeotyphlus (family Ichthyophiidae) are known only from lost type specimens which hinders investigation into their taxonomic validity (http://www.lostspeciesindia.org/LAI2/wanted.php).
Only two families (Ichthyophiidae and Rhinatrematidae) have a significant number of missing species, which does not fully coincide with the most speciose families. Ichthyophiidae is the most speciose family with 57 recent species, of which 5 species are missing (8.77%). Contrast this with the next most speciose family (Caeciliidae), which only has a single rediscovered species and no missing species (0%). While the family Rhinatrematidae only has 14 recent species, making it the equal 5th most speciose family, and yet has the second most missing species with three (21.43%). The reason for this is unclear, although one of the three missing species has no precise locality data, making it very difficult to target. Thus it has perhaps only 2 truly missing species (14.29%), and hence may be only a statistical anomaly.