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Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Classis: Amphibia
Subclassis: Lissamphibia
Ordo: Gymnophiona

Familia: Caeciliidae
Subfamilia: Caeciliinae
Genus: Herpele
Species: H. multiplicata – H. squalostoma
Name

Herpele Peters, 1880

Type species: Caecilia squalostoma Stutchbury, 1834
References

Peters, 1880, Monatsber. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1879: 930.
Amphibian Species of the World 5.2 Herpele access date 12 August 2008

Vernacular names
English: Congo Caecilians

Herpele is a genus of caecilians in the family Herpelidae. They are endemic to Central and Western Africa (from southeastern Nigeria east to western Central African Republic and south to western Democratic Republic of the Congo, possibly to Angola).[1]

At least Herpele squalostoma is probably oviparous and provides parental care: the young feed on their mother's skin (they are "dermatophagous").[2]
Species

There are two recognized species:[1]

Binomial name and authority Common name
Herpele multiplicata Nieden, 1912 Victoria caecilian
Herpele squalostoma (Stutchbury, 1836) Congo caecilian

References

Frost, Darrel R. (2013). "Herpele Peters, 1880". Amphibian Species of the World 5.6, an Online Reference. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
Kouete, M. T.; Wilkinson, M.; Gower, D. J. (2012). "First reproductive observations for Herpele Peters, 1880 (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Herpelidae): evidence of extended parental care and maternal dermatophagy in H. squalostoma (Stutchbury, 1836)". ISRN Zoology. 2012: 269690. doi:10.5402/2012/269690.

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