Apoda (Caecilians)

Do they have limbs?

No limbs

What is Apoda?

Caecilians

Derived trait?

• Of no limbs

• Their ancestors had limbs

• They are secondarily legless

• Burrowing animals

Respiratory System? Apoda

Cutaneous respiration, but have one lung

Requires moist environment

Eye? Apoda

Mostly blind, limited sight

Ear? Apoda

No external ear, very simples internal ear

hearing is limited to bone conduction

Mouth? Apoda

Have teeth in both upper and lower jaw

they are predators

Reproduction? Apoda

Internal fertilization

• deposit sperm inside female body

• eggs are fertilized internally

• Primitive caecilians are oviparous, lay egg in/near water

• Larvae hatch from eggs

• in some species larvae are fully developed when they hatch

• other species larvae undergo metamorphosis

• Advanced caecilians are viviparous bear live young

• young hatch fully develop with exception of gills that they lose immediately