Scientists Find New Species of Amphibians

Limbless creatures look like earthworms
By Dustin Lushing,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 22, 2012 3:44 PM CST
Scientists Find New Species of Amphibians
In this photo released by www.frogindia.org, an adult chikilidae sits on its eggs in the soils of northeast India.   (AP Photo/www.frogindia.org, Sathyabhama Das Biju)

Scientists have unearthed a brand-new, weird-looking species of amphibians in northeastern India. The creatures, named chikilidae, live deep in the dirt and are limbless, reports Nature, which notes that they look more like worms than, say, frogs or salamanders. “The discovery adds a major branch to the amphibian tree of life,” says a member of the team, which dug for more than 1,000 man-hours. Researchers warned that creatures' habitat was being threatened by "rapid deforestation." The AP has more details. (More amphibians stories.)

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