FRIDAY, 13 MAY 2011
Legless lizards are not entirely uncommon and several species exist, such as the slow worm found in Britain. Although they can be mistaken for snakes, there are key morphological differences between the two: unlike lizards, snakes have a forked tongue and only one lung, and are unable to regenerate severed tails. Upon discovery of the Dalai Mountain lizard, scientists trawled through species description documents and museum specimens to try to identify the animal before declaring it a new species [1].
There are now 21 species in the genus Dibamus, which are found in Thailand and Vietnam but have never before been found in Cambodia [2]. This is also the first time that a new species has been identified by a Cambodian national.
Written by Sarah Gardner
![](mailto:?subject=Blind legless lizard declared a new species&body=https://bluesci.uk/posts/blind-legless-lizard-declared-a-new-species <div class='caption'><div id="attachment_3475" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Eurasian slow worm, Anguis fragilis"><a href="https://bluesci.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/slow-worm.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3475" title="From: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anguis_fragilis_(curled_up).jpg" src="https://bluesci.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/slow-worm-300x198.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="198" /></a></div></div>Named the Dalai Mountain blind lizard (<em>Dibamus dalaiensis</em>), it looks like a snake but is in fact a lizard that has adapted to life underground. While males of related species have small hind-limb flaps used in mating, evolution of <em>D. dalaiensis</em> has led to the loss of eyes and legs, allowing it to wriggle through the soil like a worm, looking for insects.<br><br>Legless lizards are not entirely uncommon and several species exist, such as the slow worm found in Britain. Although they can be mistaken for snakes, there are key morphological differences between the two: unlike lizards, snakes have a forked tongue and only one lung, and are unable to regenerate severed tails. Upon discovery of the Dalai Mountain lizard, scientists trawled through species description documents and museum specimens to try to identify the animal before declaring it a new species <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9481000/9481409.stm" title='http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9481000/9481409.stm' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'><sup>[1]</sup></a>.<br><br>There are now 21 species in the genus <em>Dibamus,</em> which are found in Thailand and Vietnam but have never before been found in Cambodia <a href="http://www.fauna-flora.org/news/cambodian-scientist-discovers-new-species-of-blind-and-legless-lizard/" title='http://www.fauna-flora.org/news/cambodian-scientist-discovers-new-species-of-blind-and-legless-lizard/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'><sup>[2]</sup></a>. This is also the first time that a new species has been identified by a Cambodian national.<br><br>Written by Sarah Gardner<p><hr></p><h3>References:</h3><ol><li><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9481000/9481409.stm" target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9481000/9481409.stm</a></li><li><a href="http://www.fauna-flora.org/news/cambodian-scientist-discovers-new-species-of-blind-and-legless-lizard/" target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>http://www.fauna-flora.org/news/cambodian-scientist-discovers-new-species-of-blind-and-legless-lizard/</a></li></ol>){kind=link}