1.5m (~5 feet) legless giant amphibian found in Cambodia
The bizarre legless giant amphibian found in Cambodia: New species can grow to 1.5m in length and is NOT a snake
Ichthyophis cardamomensis was found in Cambodia's southwest Cardamom Mountains, an area under threat from habitat loss
Caecilian family look like snakes or earthworms
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It was confirmed by scientists earlier this month according to leading Cambodian FFI herpetologist Neang Thy.
'These discoveries are important to demonstrate that much of Cambodia's biodiversity remains unknown and unstudied by science, and many more areas need to be searched,' Thy, who has been researching amphibians and reptiles since 2003, told AFP.
The creature is caecilian -- an order of amphibians that look like snakes or earthworms and are generally found underground
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The forested Cardamom Mountains Range represents some of the largest remaining areas of habitat for more than 80 threatened species, including Asian elephant and gaur.
Thy said in recent years the Cardamom region had revealed its extensive reptile and amphibian diversity, including frogs, turtles, lizards and crocodiles.
'We are still learning about this area and the animals in it, since it was a region formerly held by the Khmer Rouge and the mountains were closed to researchers until the 1990s
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WHAT IS IT?
The creature is caecilian -- an order of amphibians that look like snakes or earthworms and are generally found underground.
Caecilians are best described as snake or worm-like amphibians that lack limbs.
They have the typical amphibian skin that clearly differs from snakes, and they have skull and bones which differs from worms.
