The animal was discovered while draining a portion of the Madeira River — a major tributary of the Amazon — for a controversial hydroelectric project. Six individuals were found according to biologist Julian Tupan, who identified the species as Atretochoana eiselti. Little else is known about the species, although it is thought to be aquatic and lacks lungs, breathing through its skin instead. Other individuals have been found near the mouth of the Amazon, more than 2,500 km away. Caecilians are typically predators, feeding on small fish, worms, and other aquatic invertebrates. They have poor eye-sight and navigate primarily though smell
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Species: (Atretochoana
eiselti) is a type of caecilian, a limbless amphibian.
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Habitat and range: The
"penis snake" has been found in Brazil near the mouth of the Amazon
and in the Madeira River (the largest tributary of the Amazon River). Both are
considered "white-water" rivers, with limited visibility due to high
silt loads. It is presently unknown what other rivers the "penis
snake" inhabits and whether it occurs upstream in Peru or Bolivia.
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Size: Lengths
of 81 cm (32 inches) have been documented
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Feeding habits: Like
other caecilians, the "penis snake" likely feeds on small fish,
worms, and other aquatic invertebrates. But more research is needed
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First discovered: (Atretochoana
eiselti) was first described in 1968 paper published in The
Caecilians of the World. Its "rediscovery" was published in 1998.
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Related species :(Atretochoana
eiselti) is the only species in the genus Atretochoana,
but another caecilian — Caecilita iwokramae — is also known to
lack lungs. There are nearly 200 species of caecilian known worldwide,
including a
superficially similar one discovered in French Guiana in 2013.
Origin of the name: Mongabay.com coined
the name "penis snake" in the August 1, 2012 post above. Since then,
other media outlets have come up with some creative monikers including the
"manaconda" and the "floppy snake".
