Herpele

Genus of amphibians

Herpele
Herpele squalostoma, female with her young
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Gymnophiona
Clade: Apoda
Family: Herpelidae
Genus: Herpele
Peters, 1880
Type species
Caecilia squalostoma
Stutchbury, 1834
Species

See text

Herpele is a genus of caecilians in the family Herpelidae. They are endemic to Central and Western Africa (from southeastern Nigeria east to western Central African Republic and south to western Democratic Republic of the Congo, possibly to Angola).[1]

At least Herpele squalostoma is probably oviparous and provides parental care: the young feed on their mother's skin (they are "dermatophagous").[2]

Species

There are two recognized species:[1]

Binomial name and authority Common name
Herpele multiplicata Nieden, 1912 Victoria caecilian
Herpele squalostoma (Stutchbury, 1836) Congo caecilian

References

  1. ^ a b Frost, Darrel R. (2013). "Herpele Peters, 1880". Amphibian Species of the World 5.6, an Online Reference. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  2. ^ Kouete, M. T.; Wilkinson, M.; Gower, D. J. (2012). "First reproductive observations for Herpele Peters, 1880 (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Herpelidae): evidence of extended parental care and maternal dermatophagy in H. squalostoma (Stutchbury, 1836)". ISRN Zoology. 2012: 269690. doi:10.5402/2012/269690.
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Tetrapodomorpha
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Batrachomorpha / Temnospondyli
    • see Temnospondyli
Dissorophoidea
    • see Dissorophoidea
Lissamphibia
    • see below↓
†Albanerpetontidae?
Albanerpeton inexpectatum

Eocaecilia micropodia Triassurus sixtelae

Triadobatrachus massinoti
Gymnophionomorpha (caecilians total group)
Gymnophiona (caecilians crown group)
Rhinatrematidae (American tailed caecilians)
Ichthyophiidae (Asian tailed caecilians)
Scolecomorphidae (buried-eyed caecilians)
Chikilidae (Northeast Indian caecilians)
Herpelidae (African caecilians)
Typhlonectidae (aquatic caecilians)
Caeciliidae (common caecilians)
Grandisoniidae (Indo-African caecilians)
Dermophiidae (Neotropical caecilians)
Siphonopidae (South American caecilians)


Batrachia
(salamanders + frogs
crown group)
Caudata
(salamanders
total group)
†Karauridae
†Batrachosauroididae
Urodela (salamanders crown group)
    • 115 genera
Salientia
(frogs
total group)
Anura (frogs crown group)
    • several hundred genera
Taxon identifiers
Herpele


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