New limbless lizard species found
— photo: AP
NEW FIND: This is no snake but a limbless lizard discovered in Orissa. — photo: AP
A NEW species of limbless lizard said to be new to science has been located by group of zoologists in Orissa.
"It is an important discovery and preliminary scientific study reveals that the lizard belongs to the genus Sepsophis'', Prof Sushil Kumar Dutta of the North Orissa University, Baripada, said.
Dutta, who led a research team of `Vasundhara', a policy analysis, research and action group, on a field study to the Khandadhar hills in Sundargarh district found the limbless lizard during a survey recently.
The lizard, which belonged to the family Scincidae, is new to science and is an important discovery from the biogeographic point of view, Dutta said.
Another species of the same genus had been reported in 1870 from the Golconda hills in Andhra Pradesh after which this is the first time that this limbless lizard had been found and it bears significance from the biodiversity point of view, Dutta said.
Scientifically described
"The new species will be scientifically described at a later stage after accumulation of more scientific data," Dutta said. The other limbless lizards recorded from India were of the family Dibamidae which was found in South East Asia and Nicobar island, Anguidae, recorded from North East India and South East India and the genus `barkudia' (Scincidae) discovered in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, he said. — PTI
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