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Detecting new legless amphibians in Myanmar
Scientists announced the discovery of a new legless amphibian Ichthyophis multicolor in Ayeyarwady delta, southern Myanmar.


Closing-up the head of the new amphibian worms named multicolor Ichthyophis. Photo Zootaxa


Ichthyophis multicolor specimen. Photo: Zootaxa

New legless amphibian species belongs to amphibian family of most mysterious worms of world's Caecilian. The Caecilian family species are superficially similar body to earthworms or snakes and live in the tropics, burrowing cave from underground or under forest carpet layers.

Scientists at the Natural History Museum, London, England and California Academy of Science, USA has analyzed ADN and identified new legless amphibians from 14 specimens collected in 2000 in the Ayeyarwady plain.

Because of mysterious living habits under forest soils Ichthyophis multicolor species look like many other species in the Caecilian family. They are classified in current status "lack of research data" in the Red Book of International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Currently, there are about 200 species in the Caecilian family described in the world; in which largest species have a length of 81cm is penis of the Atretochoana eiselti snake that rediscovered in Brazil in 2011.
Dr. Dr. Mark Wilkinson and Dr. David Gower work at the Natural History Museum of London described 25 new Caecilian species in the past 15 years, and expectedly there will have 100 new species that have been waiting for scientists to explore in the future.

dtphong
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