Calling all caecilian keepers!

Hi Thomas:

I have kept Typhlonectes natans for several years and really amazed how well they do in captivity. There really isn't a lot of information about keeping caecilians in captivity, so keep good records. I bought my caecilians at Wal-Mart a while ago, they were selling them as eels for about $5.00 each

Are you getting them from a private breeder or a reptile store? Don't forget to post some pictures when you get them.

Wow Terry! That's one of those deals you only find once and brag to all your herp buddies about! I'll be sure to keep good records on my Geotrypetes seraphini and post photos when it arrives. I'm getting it from First Choice Reptiles in Florida. Unlike Typhlonectes natans, Geotrypetes seraphini has never been successfully bred in the United States. I've heard rumors of people breeding them in Germany, but that's pretty much it. The ones I'm getting are WC from Cameroon. I usually try to get CB amphibians for several reasons, but that's not an option for any caecilians other than Typhlonectes natans.

I have maintained a few caecilians in the past including Geotrypetes seraphini at the zoo I used to work at. We maintained them in a deep, moist peat/soil substrate and fed them small worms. One day I discovered a small worm as I was changing the substrate (at least I thought it was a worm). To my amazement, it turned out to be a neonate caecilian that had been born unnoticed. As I recall, this species was very shy (like most fossorial caecilians). While I do not know whether this baby was a result of a captive breeding or not, I believe Dante Fenelio has claimed to have bred this species in captivity.
One of the more interesting terrestrial species that can actually be successfully maintained and regularly seen moving about is the Asian species Ichthyophis kohtaoensis. While most caecilians are rather drab in coloration (including Geotrypetes sp.) many Ichthyophis have a bright yellow stripe.
Good luck with your caecilian! They are pretty cool amphibians!

Thanks for the info! I checked out First Choice Reptiles web site and $35.00 isn't too bad price for a caecilian. I also worked at a zoo as an amphibian keeper and was told by the staff that keeping caecilians in the U.S. is against the law. I am not sure of all the details. Since they are OK to keep, I might order some as well. They are the most fascinating of amphibians. BTW, last week, I presented a paper on the taxonomy and natural history of caecilians. Keep us informed of your progress!

I've seen pictures of Ichthyophis kohtaoensis. It's a very beautiful species, but it seems pretty rare in the trade, not that Geotrypetes seraphini isn't. The species at the top of my wish list is Siphonops annulatus.

Originally Posted by tgampper

Thanks for the info! I checked out First Choice Reptiles web site and $35.00 isn't too bad price for a caecilian. I also worked at a zoo as an amphibian keeper and was told by the staff that keeping caecilians in the U.S. is against the law. I am not sure of all the details. Since they are OK to keep, I might order some as well. They are the most fascinating of amphibians. BTW, last week, I presented a paper on the taxonomy and natural history of caecilians. Keep us informed of your progress!

Wow, that's fascinating! Would it be possible for me to view this paper? I will do my best to keep everyone informed of my progress. I see so little information out there on caecilians, I am thrilled to have the chance to add to our knowledge of the amazing amphibians! By the way, caecilians are not illegal to keep, that's a common misconception. Typhlonectes natans are illegal to import because of their native country's ban on exporting them. Geotrypetes seraphini and almost all other caecilians are perfectly legal to import and own.

I have seen this guys in the wild and I did kept the one i saw for some time but released him because he spent most of the time buried or inside the rotten log he had. I fed him with Tenebrio molitor larvae or earthworms. Hope you have luck with yours.






I released mine exactly in the same place where I found him.

Originally Posted by pez

I have seen this guys in the wild and I did kept the one i saw for some time but released him because he spent most of the time buried or inside the rotten log he had. I fed him with Tenebrio molitor larvae or earthworms. Hope you have luck with yours.






I released mine exactly in the same place where I found him.

Cool! Do you know what species you had? I wish I lived in an area where I could just go into the jungle and collect caecilians myself, you're so lucky!

I had a Dermophis costaricense. Its not so easy to go out and see them. First you need to have a property, I am lucky that my grandpa has a big property just next to a national park.
Next time I go there (saturday) I am going to try to find one.

Awesome! I've heard Dermophis species make great captives. I hope you find some this Saturday, post pictures of them if you do!

Update! I just received my Geotrypetes seraphini (Gaboon Caecilian). It is doing well. It's in a 10 gallon tank with 4 inches of moist coconut husk. I'll keep everyone updated on it's progress and will post photos soon (I'm going to let it rest undisturbed for a few day after its long journey).

Congratulations!! What color is the one u got?

Thanks Ginger! It's dark purple-ish blue with lighter rings.

I am glad that they came in without problems. Can't wait to see the pix

I regret to inform you all that my caecilian has unfortunately passed away. When he arrived at my house, he was quite cold as the heat pack in his box was almost used up. I thought I had successfully revived him, but apparently the stress of his 24 hour trip and the cold were too much for him. I found him dead on top of the substrate in his tank today .

What?! I am so sorry.

Originally Posted by Kurt

What?! I am so sorry.

Thank you Kurt. I am starting to loose faith in my local FedEx and USPS. The local FedEx facility is just 45 minutes away, yet it took them 9 hours on the truck to get my package to me. Nothing that can be done about it now. I will try again in the spring once the weather warms up if they are still available. That seems to be the problem with caecilians, they aren't available for very long, and only in the coldest times of the year.

Sorry to hear about your caecilian I was just about as happy as you were when you got him. Unfortunately, that's a problem about transporting amphibians during the winter. Maybe you can reserve another for shipment in the late spring or summer.

Originally Posted by tgampper

Sorry to hear about your caecilian I was just about as happy as you were when you got him. Unfortunately, that's a problem about transporting amphibians during the winter. Maybe you can reserve another for shipment in the late spring or summer.

Thank you Terry. I was pretty devastated when I saw him lying on top of the substrate. As they are fossorial in nature, seeing them above ground is never a good sign. I am hoping I can reserve one. The weather here is supposed to warm up in the next couple of weeks. As long as the low is above 32 degrees, I believe they will be ok. This will definitely not be my last caecilian. No offense to any frogs, but caecilians have to be my favorite animals .