Caecilian - Rio Cauda

Other Breeds

Keeshond   |   Palomino   |   Pig – Pot Bellied   |  

Alternative Name

Caecilian Worm, Black Worm, Rubber Worm, Rubber Eel Scientific Name: Typhlonectes natans

Basic Info

Adult Rio Cauca Caecilians average lengths of 18 to 24 inches. Their elongate bodies are brownish black and worm-like in appearance. Some Rio Cauca Caecilians have body diameters of an inch.

Health

Because Rio Cauca Caecilians are known for their ability to escape, their tanks should be tightly sealed. They should be kept in aquatic environments decorated with items they can hide in like rocks, driftwood, or living plants. The water temperature should remain between 74 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit (23 to 25 degrees Celsius). A nighttime drop of about four degrees Fahrenheit (two degrees Celsius) is acceptable. Usually, a pH of 6.5 is good for Rio Cauca Caecilians. Because they intake oxygen through their skins, clean water quality is essential. The substrate should be thick and loose enough that the Caecilian can bury itself inside, should it choose to. Some people offer half and half environments; in such cases, the land half should have a potting soil substrate covered by peat moss. Rio Cauca Caecilians are often kept in groups and can usually be kept with fish. They are not known to be aggressive. However, they should not be kept with crustaceans, which can injure these Caecilians. Normally, Rio Cauca Caecilians are fed live and frozen bloodworms, earthworms, glass worms, and brine shrimp. They are also offered live or freeze dried tubifex worms and freeze dried plankton or bloodworms. Many people like to supplement their diet with sinking pellet food. Breeding There is no way to visually sex Rio Cauca Caecilians. Often, perfect conditions without a nighttime temperature drop will induce these Caecilians to breed when they are kept in groups, in water softened with peat. The females will become noticeably swollen when they are pregnant. They give birth to live young, and usually 10 or 20 small caecilians are produced. The young Rio Cauca Caecilians can be fed smaller chunks of the same foods their parents eat.

Habitat

N/A

Behavior

The Rio Cauca Caecilian, or Rubber Eel, is a fascinating creature. One of the few Caecilians that is aquatic, more information has been gathered about Rio Cauca Caecilians than about other species that spend most of their lives underground. In the wild, Rio Cauca Caecilians eat a variety of insects. In captivity, Rio Cauca Caecilians should have a substrate they can dig into. No sharp objects should be present in the bottoms of their enclosures. They often burrow in addition to spending time in water. Because crustaceans often pick at Rio Cauca Caecilians and wound them, these animals should not be kept together. Normally they can be kept with fish, though they may eat small fish that sit on the bottom, or fish that are unhealthy. It is normal for Rio Cauca Caecilians to shed their skin in stringy white pieces. Because they have poor eyesight, these animals hunt for food using their keen senses of smell.

Origin

Columbia

History

Rio Cauca Caecilians are native to South America, where they can be found in Columbia. They are not difficult to keep in captivity and, because they are unusual, can make very interesting pets.

Common Foods

They are burrowing animals and spend most of their time underground, although they will sometimes venture above ground to feed. eat a variety of insects