AKP Phnom Penh, September 26, 2025 --

A species of caecilian has been encountered on the ground of the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB) in Siem Reap province. 

With only two species being found in Cambodia, they are exceptionally rare to find, as they spend the majority of their lives underground, where they feed on worms and insects, ACCB pointed out. 

They only venture out above ground occasionally, possibly to find a mate or better habitat, and only ever during nighttime rain, it added, stressing that their skin needs to stay moist to allow them to breathe. 

Caecilian (Gymnophiona) is neither a snake, or a worm. According to an online source, Caecilian is a limbless amphibian with either small eyes or no eyes. There are about 200 living species of caecilian. They mostly live hidden in soil or in streambeds, making them some of the least familiar amphibians. They feed on small subterranean creatures, such as earthworms.

By C. Nika (Photo: ACCB)