caecilian
noun
cae·ci·lian si-ˈsil-yən 
-ˈsēl-,
-ˈsi-lē-ən
: any of an order (Gymnophiona) of chiefly tropical burrowing limbless amphibians resembling worms
caecilian adjective
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The caecilian is native to Colombia and Venezuela although it has been found in tropical Africa and southeast Asia. 
Chris Perkins, sun-sentinel.com, 30 July 2021 The species that was found in Miami is a Rio Cauca caecilian, or Typhlonectes natans, a native of Colombia and Venezuela that inhabits fresh water. Tiffini Theisen, orlandosentinel.com, 28 July 2021 Some are just a few inches long, but the giant caecilian of Colombia (Caecilia thompsoni) can reach lengths of up to five feet, reports Jason Bittel for National Geographic. Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 July 2020 On the other end, caecilian tails have glands that produce poison, presumably to discourage predators from chasing them through their subterranean highways. Jason Bittel, National Geographic, 3 July 2020 And Typhlonectes natans, a plain brown caecilian that looks something like an earthworm on steroids, takes on a greenish-yellow glow. Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2020 For example, the Rio Cauca caecilian — a gray, limbless aquatic amphibian — glowed bright green under the blue lights. Sophie Lewis, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2020 For salamanders and caecilians—weird little limbless amphibians that look like worms and eat their mother’s skin—the point of looking extra hot might be, well, reproduction. Matt Simon, Wired, 27 Feb. 2020 In the new study, scientists placed specimens from 32 species—including salamanders, frogs, and limbless, wormlike amphibians known as caecilians—onto a dark background and shone a blue or ultraviolet light on them. Rodrigo Pérez Ortega, Science | AAAS, 27 Feb. 2020 See More
Chris Perkins, sun-sentinel.com, 30 July 2021 The species that was found in Miami is a Rio Cauca caecilian, or Typhlonectes natans, a native of Colombia and Venezuela that inhabits fresh water. Tiffini Theisen, orlandosentinel.com, 28 July 2021 Some are just a few inches long, but the giant caecilian of Colombia (Caecilia thompsoni) can reach lengths of up to five feet, reports Jason Bittel for National Geographic. Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 July 2020 On the other end, caecilian tails have glands that produce poison, presumably to discourage predators from chasing them through their subterranean highways. Jason Bittel, National Geographic, 3 July 2020 And Typhlonectes natans, a plain brown caecilian that looks something like an earthworm on steroids, takes on a greenish-yellow glow. Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2020 For example, the Rio Cauca caecilian — a gray, limbless aquatic amphibian — glowed bright green under the blue lights. Sophie Lewis, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2020 For salamanders and caecilians—weird little limbless amphibians that look like worms and eat their mother’s skin—the point of looking extra hot might be, well, reproduction. Matt Simon, Wired, 27 Feb. 2020 In the new study, scientists placed specimens from 32 species—including salamanders, frogs, and limbless, wormlike amphibians known as caecilians—onto a dark background and shone a blue or ultraviolet light on them. Rodrigo Pérez Ortega, Science | AAAS, 27 Feb. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
ultimately from Latin caecilia slowworm, from caecus blind
First Known Use
1840, in the meaning defined above