A creature discovered by engineers building a dam in
the Amazon is a limbless amphibian that resembles a purplish human weenie.
The animal is a type of caecilian and was discovered while draining a portion of the Madeira River — a major tributary of the Amazon — for a controversial hydroelectric project. Six creatures were found according to biologist Julian Tupan, who identified the species as Atretochoana eiselti.
Little else is known about the species, although it is thought to be aquatic and lacks lungs, breathing through its skin instead. Others have been found near the mouth of the Amazon, more than 1,500 miles away. Caecilians are typically predators, feeding on small fish, worms, and other aquatic invertebrates. They have poor eyesight and navigate primarily though smell.
Atretochoana eiselti is the largest known caecilian, attaining a length of 32 inches, or more than twice the size of the next-largest known species, and much longer than most human penises.
The animal is a type of caecilian and was discovered while draining a portion of the Madeira River — a major tributary of the Amazon — for a controversial hydroelectric project. Six creatures were found according to biologist Julian Tupan, who identified the species as Atretochoana eiselti.
Little else is known about the species, although it is thought to be aquatic and lacks lungs, breathing through its skin instead. Others have been found near the mouth of the Amazon, more than 1,500 miles away. Caecilians are typically predators, feeding on small fish, worms, and other aquatic invertebrates. They have poor eyesight and navigate primarily though smell.
Atretochoana eiselti is the largest known caecilian, attaining a length of 32 inches, or more than twice the size of the next-largest known species, and much longer than most human penises.
Photo by Matt Roper. Thanks.
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