Hola amigos: AL VUELO DE UN QUINDE EL BLOG., Seis ejemplares del Atretochoana eiselti, el mayor anfibio sin
pulmones conocido y perteneciente a la familia de las llamadas
serpientes ciegas, fueron encontrados en un río cerca de las obras de la
hidroeléctrica de Santo Antonio, en el estado amazónico de Rondonia,
informaron hoy medios brasileños.
Snake-Like Amphibian Found In Brazil Is Extremely Rare, Makes Us Blush
Must resist urge to draw googly eyes. Geek System
Julian Tupan, a biologist from Santo Antonio Energy, the company building the dam, told The Sun:
Of the six we collected, one died, three were released back into the wild and another two were kept for studies. Despite looking like snakes, they aren’t reptiles and are more closely related to salamanders and frogs. We think the animal breathes through its skin, and probably feeds on small fish and worms, but there is still nothing proven.The Amazon is a box of surprises when it comes to reptiles and amphibians. There are still much more to be discovered. Geek System
Last year, the Madeira River in Rondonia, Brazil
was drained for a hydroelectric dam. At the very bottom, were six of
these creatures, writhing about looking like penises, except that
they’re all about 30 inches long. Now, biologists have confirmed that
they are Atretochoana eiselti, an extremely rare species of caecilian with no known living population.
The A. eiselti were found last
November, but the discovery was only made public after biologists
confirmed the genus. Caecilians are limbless amphibians with rings like
those of the earthworm. The A. eiselti is the largest tetrapod
without lungs, breathing through its skin instead. It has fleshy dorsal
fins on its back, and is thought to live in fast-flowing water.
It is classified as “Data Deficient” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
“in view of continuing uncertainties as to its extent of occurrence,
status and ecological requirements.” There are only two preserved
specimens of the species, and that is all the biologists had to work
with. The only other reported sighting was in June 2011 near near Belém,
Brazil, and never before.
But of course, you’re probably not here to find out what we know of this enigmatic creature (which is almost nothing anyway). You’re here for visual herpetology. Geek system
RONDONIA (BRASIL),.- Fotografía que muestra uno de
los seis ejemplares del "Atretochoana eiselti", el mayor anfibio sin
pulmones conocido y perteneciente a la familia de las llamadas
serpientes ciegas, que fueron rescatados del lecho de un río, cerca de
las obras de la hidroeléctrica de Santo Antonio, en el estado amazónico
de Rondonia, informaron medios brasileños. Efeverde
Los anfibios, de color gris, cuerpo alargado y piel lisa, fueron
localizados durante el periodo de sequía en el lecho del río Madeira a
su paso por Porto Velho, capital de Rondonia, según la Agencia Estado.
Hasta
ahora solo se habían encontrado dos ejemplares del animal, que llega a
medir cerca un metro, y de cuyo hábitat natural se disponen pocos datos.
Los
especialistas devolvieron al río tres de los ejemplares hallados, uno
murió y los otros dos han sido seleccionados para el estudio.
El
biólogo Juliano Tupan, analista socio-ambiental de la hidroeléctrica,
valoró el hallazgo porque contribuye a confirmar el ecosistema en el que
vive este extraño anfibio, el único ejemplar de la familia de las
cecilias sin pulmones conocida.
"Ahora tenemos la certeza de que
este animal está presente en la cuenca del río Madeira y en (el estado
de) Pará", declaró. EFEverde
Guillermo Gonzalo Sánchez Achuteguiayabaca@hotmail.com
ayabaca@gmail.com
ayabaca@yahoo.com
