Koh Tao Caecilian
Ichthyophis kohtaoensis
Silhouette: Dmitry Bogdanov (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAmphibia (Amphibians)
- OrderGymnophiona (Caecilians)
- FamilyIchthyophiidae (Fish Caecilians)
- GenusIchthyophis (Striped Caecilians)
- SpeciesIchthyophis kohtaoensis (Koh Tao Caecilian)
About the Koh Tao Caecilian
The Koh Tao Island caecilian (Ichthyophis kohtaoensis) is a species of amphibian in the family Ichthyophiidae found in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Also known as the Ichthyophis bannanicus, the Banna caecilian, it is also found in southern China.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, rivers, intermittent rivers, swamps, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, plantations, rural gardens, urban areas, heavily degraded former forests, irrigated land, and seasonally flooded agricultural land. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The scientific name refers to Ko Tao Island in the Gulf of Siam, where the type specimen was collected. The mitotic karyotypes of both the female and male Koh Tao caecilians have 21 pairs of chromosomes, although in a study performed by Nussbaum and Treisman, it was found that there was an inconsistent report of chromosomes. While they all may have the 21 chromosome pairs, there was a study that found they have 18 metacentric, 4 submetacentric, and 20 telocentric chromosomes while another study had found 16 metacentric, 6 submetacentric... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Koh Tao Caecilian in Khao Sok National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 3 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Koh Tao Caecilian in Khao Sok National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Koh Tao Caecilian sighting in Khao Sok National Park, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Koh Tao Caecilian in Khao Sok National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Koh Tao Caecilian in Khao Sok National Park in our monthly data.