Home / Amphibians / Aquatic caecilians / Cayenne caecilian
No federal permit to keepCayenne caecilian
Typhlonectes compressicauda
Amphibians › Aquatic caecilians (Gymnophiona) › Typhlonectidae (Aquatic caecilians)
Typhlonectes compressicauda, the Cayenne caecilian, is a species of amphibian in the family Typhlonectidae that lives in water.
Care at a glance
Species-specific values
Values researched for this exact species. Where they differ from the group guide below, follow these. Air, surface and water temperatures are listed separately, and each source is kept as published rather than averaged.
| Water temperature | 75–86 °F (24–30 °C) Seasonal regime. | 234 |
| Tank volume recommendation | 180 L Trio with substantial external filtration; larger preferred. | 234 |
| Filter safety | Secure inlet guards; animals can enter filters and drown. Guard heaters and provide dark refuges. | 234 |
Warnings
Care guide
Caecilians
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Tropical soil and streams. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Distinguish terrestrial caecilians from aquatic Typhlonectes. Aquatic setups need protected filter inlets and heaters, dark refuges and water-quality control.
Climate & lighting
Starting point only: The overview explicitly includes aquatic and terrestrial caecilians; water temperature is inapplicable to terrestrial taxa. Check the species-specific values for this animal where shown.
| Warm side / daytime | 75–80°F |
| Water | 75–82°F |
Diet
- Worms, bloodworms and sinking pellets.
Health watch
- Escape artists; skin infections in poor water.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
It is found in Amazonian Brazil, Peru, and Colombia as well as in Guyana and French Guiana, and likely Suriname, and according to some sources, Venezuela. It is an aquatic caecilian that inhabits permanent rivers and marshes mainly in the lowland forest zone.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Typhlonectes compressicauda” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Typhlonectes compressicauda, the Cayenne caecilian, is a species of amphibian in the family Typhlonectidae that lives in water. It is found in Amazonian Brazil, Peru, and Colombia as well as in Guyana and French Guiana, and likely Suriname, and according to some sources, Venezuela. It is an aquatic caecilian that inhabits permanent rivers and marshes mainly in the lowland forest zone. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | The Cayenne caecilian occurs in South America, including the Amazon basin and river systems in the Guianas. It is found at altitudes of up to 200 m above sea level. Because it is common and has a wide range, it is listed as of "Least Concern" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Appearance and size | The Cayenne caecilian is an elongated, dark grey, black or steely blue amphibian with no limbs. The body is flattened laterally and has a number of transverse folds, giving it a segmented appearance. A long fin runs along its back, and it grows to a length of 30 to 55 cm. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | The Cayenne caecilian lives in shallow streams and rivers. It spends the day in a communal burrow, emerging at night to hunt through the sediment for small invertebrates, such as insect larvae and shrimps. It has no functional eyes and probably detects its prey by touch or by the vibrations made when the prey moves. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 89°F (up to 92°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 71°F (down to 68°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 78–81°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 82–85% on average (driest month about 79%) |
| Rainfall | about 2362 mm a year |
Measured at 40 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
Data and studies
Researched care notes
Researched care notes
Findings checked against veterinary, zoo, welfare, keeper and peer-reviewed sources. Air, basking-surface and water temperatures are kept separate, and where sources disagree both are shown. “Study” notes report what a paper measured, not a universal rule.
Aquatic Caecilians (group)
Researched for this whole family or group; check species differences before applying.
- The guideline gives 24–30°C water for Typhlonectes and 26–29°C for Potomotyphlus. Preserve the genus distinction.1
- Protect against heater contact and provide appropriate filtration and redundant temperature safeguards.1
- Use varied suitable prey; scrutinise a fish-only ration nutritionally.1
- Thiaminase affects thiamine, vitamin B1. The manual’s B12 wording is an error. Verified correction; this does not supply a supplement dose.1
- The guideline cautions against adding new males to breeding groups and against assuming compatibility with fish.1
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Maximum recorded lifespan
Longest recorded lifespan reported by each database; typical lifespans are usually shorter. The AnAge record comes from an animal in human care.
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- POSTMORTEM FINDINGS IN EIGHT SPECIES OF CAPTIVE CAECILIAN (AMPHIBIA: GYMNOPHIONA) OVER A TEN-YEAR PERIOD Flach EJ et al., Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine: official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians 2020
- Myxozoan infections of caecilians demonstrate broad host specificity and indicate a link with human activity Hartigan A et al., International journal for parasitology 2016
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170
Sources for this sheet
- AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources) Peer-reviewed researchCurated, referenced longevity and life-history records for thousands of species; maximum lifespans are often from zoo animals.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Environment and husbandry for amphibians Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Overview of amphibians Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- EAZA: Aquatic caecilian Best Practice Guidelines, version 2 (2022) Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- AmphibiaWeb (University of California, Berkeley) Peer-reviewed researchUniversity-hosted database of amphibian biology and conservation.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
