No, that’s not an eel, or a snake… or a worm. Believe it or not, this critter is a legless amphibian! Meet Beddome’s caecilian (Ichthyophis beddomei).This species, which can grow up to 10.8 in (27.5 cm) long, inhabits parts of India’s Western Ghats mountains. When threatened, it can secrete smelly fluids from its skin before burrowing into the soil to make its escape.
Photo: Girish Gowda, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist



















