How do caecilians reproduce?

All caecilians are believed to reproduce through internal fertilization, a process facilitated by the phallodeum, a male copulatory organ modified from the cloacal wall.1

Reproductive strategies among caecilians vary:

• Oviparity: Some species deposit eggs in burrows in mud near water. Females typically guard these clutches, which can contain up to 54 eggs. Depending on the species, these eggs may hatch into larvae that migrate to ponds and streams, or they may hatch as small adults.1
• Viviparity: Other species are viviparous, typically producing no more than four young at a time. In these cases, the fetus develops within the oviduct. Once its yolk supply is exhausted, the fetus uses specialized deciduous teeth to scrape and consume secretions and epithelial tissues from the lining of the mother's oviduct.1

Breeding patterns can be influenced by environmental factors; for example, some species mate during the rainy season, while others exhibit a biennial reproductive cycle.1