Several scientists have just found a new Salamander species that lives in the swamps of southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. In addition to its long, eel-like body, two arms, and no back legs, this new species possesses frilly, fern-like gills on its head. Due to the patterns of dots on the body of this eel, it has been dubbed the Leopard Eel. However, in an article published in the journal PLOS ONE, scientists have called it the Reticulated Siren.
As the name suggests, Sirens are a rare and aquatic species of salamander. There are many boring-looking sirens, according to biologist Sean Graham, a professor at Sul Ross State University and the principal author of the article. They have bland olive green or brown skin that bends with the dirt where they prefer to live. He also said that seeing one of these for the first time freaked him out because it was so different from the others.
There had been three museum specimens discovered at Auburn University that had been known about for decades, but no one had taken the time to describe them in detail, says the man. To him, the difficulty of catching them is a sufficient basis for this prohibition on their use. As if that wasn’t enough, North America boasts more salamander species than any other place in the globe. For this, he remarked, the country should be very proud.
