"Blind snake" discovered in Brazilian river

I'm at the weird part of nature again...


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/a...ds-newsxml

Forgive us if this puts you off your dinner because, as snakes go, this is not much of a charmer.

The unique creature, atretochoana eiselti, was found after engineers drained a hydroelectric dam which spans a river connected to the Amazon.

Biologists discovered six of the unusual-looking creatures - each about a metre long - at the bottom of the river-bed on the Madeira river in Rondonia, in Brazil.


This blind snake might look a little disgusting, but it is an exciting discovery for scientists, who believe it is closely related to salamanders and frogs

Atretochoana eiselti is blind and has been spotted near the mouth of the Amazon river, in warm and fast-flowing water

The creatures were discovered in November, however it took until today for scientists to correctly classify the snake's genus - confirming it is a rare creature which has only been spotted sporadically since first spotted in 1968.

It is actually more closely related to salamanders and frogs, but appearance-wise looks more like a snake.

Biologist Julian Tupan, who works for Santo Antonio Energy - the company which constructed the dam - said: 'Of the six we collected, one died, three were released back into the wild and another two were kept for studies.

'Despite looking like snakes, they aren’t reptiles and are more closely related to salamanders and frogs.


The creature was first discovered in South America in 1968, but was only discovered on the island of Mosquiro last year

Mr Tupan added: 'We think the animal breathes through its skin, and probably feeds on small fish and worms, but there is still nothing proven.

'The Amazon is a box of surprises when it comes to reptiles and amphibians. There are still much more to be discovered'

We've discovered SMT's Mara!

Doesn't the thing have to have scales for it to be classified as a snake? o.o

They look like... No. I'm not gonna say it.

It's nose is pretty cute :3

Doesn't the thing have to have scales for it to be classified as a snake? o.o

The article says "It's not a snake" loads of times, and then calls it a snake anyway. I'm guessing it's the article writers mistake.

"Blind snake" is just a nick. It says that it's a close relative of frogs and salamanders.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atretochoana

I have a dirty dirty mind hahahahaha.

Those pictures are priceless.

i need to get myself a few hundred of these.

they're purple to boot.

I congratulate you, penis snake, for being discovered. Welcome!

i need to get myself a few hundred of these.

Err...

i need to get myself a few hundred of these.

Moar penises, moar problems.

I congratulate you, penis snake, for being discovered. Welcome!


Err...

i got nothing else to say. i'm genuinely interested in the... amphibian? though, that's one weird way to evolve.

They look like... No. I'm not gonna say it.

It's nose is pretty cute :3


The article says "It's not a snake" loads of times, and then calls it a snake anyway. I'm guessing it's the article writers mistake.

Yeah I was just thinking it looks like a (really ugly) penis.

So I guess even mother nature gets horny from time to time.

http://alltailnolegs.tumblr.com/post/285...scientists

The livelier ones dont look so phallic.

http://alltailnolegs.tumblr.com/post/285...scientists

The livelier ones dont look so phallic.

Which begs the question of why they used THOSE pictures rather than those ones, which are less raunchy and a lot cuter.

Penis snake! Penis-esque snake when photographed in a certain way! Nature is weird.

Which begs the question of why they used THOSE pictures rather than those ones, which are less raunchy and a lot cuter.

Because it's the Daily Mail.

i need to get myself a few hundred of these.

they're purple to boot.

Found your tentacles!

It looks like a d'ick.

http://alltailnolegs.tumblr.com/post/285...scientists

The livelier ones dont look so phallic.

I doubt that it's the same species though. He said those are Caecilian, but not that they are exactly Atretochoana eiselti. On a Finnish news site they claim that it's the first time these species have been found alive in the wild.

I initially didn't think one of those photos had another meaning to it, until Duel gave it away. GG

OT: Interesting find.....

http://alltailnolegs.tumblr.com/post/285...scientists

The livelier ones dont look so phallic.

Those non-suggestive photos look really nice. Showcases them in action

Inb4 "Trouser Snake".