Towards evidence-based husbandry for caecilian amphibians: Substrate preference in Geotrypetes seraphini (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Dermophiidae)

摘要

Maintaining caecilians in captivity provides opportunities to study life-history, behaviour and reproductive biology and to investigate and to develop treatment protocols for amphibian chytridiomycosis. Few species of caecilians are maintained in captivity and little has been published on their husbandry. We present data on substrate preference in a group of eight Central African Geotrypetes seraphini (Duméril, 1859). Two substrates were trialled; coir and Megazorb (a waste product from the paper making industry). G. seraphini showed a strong preference for the Megazorb. We anticipate this finding will improve the captive management of this and perhaps also other species of fossorial caecilians, and stimulate evidence-based husbandry practices.