Pictures: New Amphibians Without Arms or Legs Discovered

Won't Lose Her Marbles

Photograph courtesy S.D. Biju

A previously unknown caecilian from India watches over her clutch of eggs in the lab of University of Delhi amphibian biologist Sathyabhama Das Biju.

Biju and his team were surprised to discover that females of this newly named species, Chikila fulleri, remained protectively coiled around their developing offspring for up to three months.

"The mother is guarding the eggs for almost 95 days without eating anything," Biju said. "Always the mother is with her eggs."

Such levels of maternal care are rarely seen in amphibians, the study team noted.

(Related: "Giant Lungless 'Worm' Found Living on Land.")

Published February 21, 2012

Devilish in the Details

Image courtesy S.D. Biju

A 3-D skull reconstruction based on CT scans reveals telltale features to scientists who have now assigned up to half a dozen newfound caecilian species from India their own separate family.

Tiny distinctions in the jaw, nose, and eye structures of the snakelike amphibians show the new family belongs to an ancient lineage whose nearest relatives live in Africa, the study team said.

DNA evidence indicates that the Indian group split off from other caecilians more than 140 million years ago.

Published February 21, 2012

Bundles of Joy?

Photograph courtesy S.D. Biju

A clutch of eggs in a muddy nest is buried treasure to a research team that spent five years digging for caecilians in over 250 spots across northern India.  

Hunting the elusive animals involves lots of shovel work, explained S. D. Biju, whose team included scientists from the University of Delhi, the U.K. Natural History Museum, and Belgium's Vrije University.

"Because of their burrowing nature and cryptic appearance, they are very difficult to see above the soil," he said.

A total of more than 2,000 hours spent digging beneath tropical undergrowth produced about six suspected new species, three of which have now been confirmed, Biju added.  

(Also see "Evolution in Action: Lizards Moving From Eggs to Live Birth.")

Published February 21, 2012

In a New Vein

Photograph courtesy S.D. Biju

The embryo of a newly discovered caecilian species, Chikila fulleri, is revealed in microscopic detail inside its translucent egg.

Also visible is the embryo's white yolk supply, which provides the legless amphibian enough nourishment to emerge from its egg as a miniature adult (most amphibians go through a tadpole-like, swimming stage in their early development).

Some young caecilians are known to feast on their mother's skin after hatching. Such behavior has yet to be observed in the newfound Indian species, however.

(See "Flesh-Eating Baby 'Worm' Feasts on Mom's Skin.")

Published February 21, 2012

Look Ma, No Hands!

Photograph courtesy S.D. Biju

Indian caecilians, such as these emerging hatchlings, face an uncertain future, according to the team that discovered the new tropical species.

The newly described family is confined to a populated region of northeastern India where its habitats are becoming increasingly fragmented due to slash-and-burn agriculture and development, Biju said. (See a deforestation guide.)

"We are destroying the habitat ruthlessly, without any mercy," he said. "I hope that, in future, this family may be a flagship animal for conservation in the region."

Published February 21, 2012

More Pictures: "Mr. Burns" Toad, More New Amphibians Found

Photograph courtesy Robin Moore, ILCP

Published February 21, 2012