Gymnopis multiplicata is a legless, worm-like amphibian that is listed as ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM. This species can be found in the primary and secondary forests of Central America from Honduras south to Panama. Gymnopis multiplicata is known for the live birth of their young, which hatch inside their mother. After the young have used up their yolk sacs, they continue to feed by scraping their small teeth along the insides of their mother until they are born. The oviducts, where the babies are developing and feeding, quickly produce more layers of tissue, and the babies’ feeding does not appear to hurt their mother.
Gymnopis multiplicata is listed as Least Concern because in their natural habitat they appear to be doing well, even in small population sizes. However to live, they rely on forest habitat, and many forests are being converted into agricultural land.
Gymnopis multiplicata can be found in many protected areas, such as the Sierra Caral in Guatemala. There is a call for conservation of the lowland tropical forests habitats where this species lives and for more research into their population dynamics.