Eikeuhkoperäisiä

Eikeuhkoperäisiä is a Finnish term that translates to "lungless" in English. It is most commonly used in a biological context to refer to a group of amphibians known as the order Gymnophiona. These amphibians are also called caecilians. Caecilians are limbless, elongated, and burrowing vertebrates that superficially resemble earthworms or snakes. Despite their snake-like appearance, they are amphibians, more closely related to frogs and salamanders than to reptiles.

The defining characteristic of caecilians, and the reason for the term eikeuhkoperäisiä, is their lack of lungs. Instead of pulmonary respiration, they primarily breathe through their skin and through other organs, such as pharyngeal or cloacal lungs. This adaptation is related to their fossorial lifestyle, spending much of their lives underground. Their skin is moist and permeable, facilitating cutaneous respiration.

Caecilians are found in tropical regions of South America, Africa, and Asia. They are typically found in moist soil, leaf litter, or aquatic environments. Many species are oviparous, laying eggs, while others are viviparous, giving birth to live young. Their diet consists mainly of invertebrates like earthworms, insects, and other small soil-dwelling creatures. Due to their secretive nature and subterranean habitat, caecilians are rarely seen and are not as well-studied as other amphibian groups.