in zoology, a genus of serpents belonging to the amphibia class. The caecilia has no scales; it is smooth, and moves by means of lateral ridges or prickles. The upper lip is prominent, and furnished with two tentacles. It has no tail. There are but two species of this serpent, viz. 1. The tentaculata, has 135 ridges. It is about a foot long, and an inch in circumference, preserving an uniform cylindrical shape from the one end to the other. The teeth are very small. It has such a resemblance to an eel, that it may easily be mistaken for one; but as it has neither fins nor gills, it cannot be clasped with the fishes. It is a native of America, and its bite is not poisonous. 2. The glutinosa, has 340 ridges or prickles above, and 10 below, the anus. It is of a brownish colour, with a white line on the side, and is a native of the Indies.