 The order Gymnophiona ( from the Greek gymnos meaning " naked " and <unk> meaning " serpent " ) or Apoda ( from the Latin an- meaning " without " and the Greek <unk> meaning " legs " ) comprises the caecilians . These are long , cylindrical , limbless animals with a <unk> or worm @-@ like form . The adults vary in length from 8 to 75 centimetres ( 3 to 30 inches ) with the exception of Thomson 's caecilian ( Caecilia thompsoni ) , which can reach 150 centimetres ( 4 @.@ 9 feet ) . A caecilian 's skin has a large number of transverse folds and in some species contains tiny embedded dermal scales . It has rudimentary eyes covered in skin , which are probably limited to discerning differences in light intensity . It also has a pair of short tentacles near the eye that can be extended and which have tactile and olfactory functions . Most caecilians live underground in burrows in damp soil , in rotten wood and under plant debris , but some are aquatic . Most species lay their eggs underground and when the larvae hatch , they make their way to adjacent bodies of water . Others brood their eggs and the larvae undergo metamorphosis before the eggs hatch . A few species give birth to live young , nourishing them with glandular secretions while they are in the oviduct . Caecilians have a mostly Gondwanan distribution , being found in tropical regions of Africa , Asia and Central and South America . 
