Description
A new species of Indian caeciliid caecilian, Indotyphlus maharashtraensis (Amphibia: Gymnophiona), is described based on a series of 12 specimens from the northern Western Ghats of the State of Maharashtra. This species differs from the only other species in the genus, I. battersbyi in having secondary annular grooves present anterior to the 100th primary annulus behind the nuchal collars, and in having a depressed preanal strip (longer in adult males) anterior to the disc surrounding the vent.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: India

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

They are reported from near Koyna, Satara District, Maharashtra, India. The specimen are generally seen on a plateau, under rocks surrounded by semievergreen forest. The locality is situated in the Western Ghats at approximately 1042 m above sea level.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
No information is available

Trends and Threats
Not known

Comments
This is a recently described species so intensive study is need to know its status.

This is a recently described species by Giri, Gower and Wilkinson (2004).

References

Varad, G., Gower, D.J., and Wilkinson, M. (2004). ''A new species of Indotyphlus Taylor (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae) from the Western Ghats, India.'' Zootaxa, 739, 1-19.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2005 Indotyphlus maharashtraensis: Maharashtra Caecilian <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/6406> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Sep 30, 2023.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2023. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 30 Sep 2023.

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