New species of legless amphibian discovered in Maharashtra

Scientists have discovered a new species of subterranean, legless amphibian — commonly known as a caecilian — from Maharashtra.

The species named Gegeneophis chandgadi has been discovered by a multi-institutional team of researchers from the Kolhapur region (Chandgad) of the northern Western Ghats.

The discovery was made by researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), WRC Pune, Yashwantrao Chavan Mahavidyalaya (Halkarni), Savitribai Phule Pune University, and the Mhadei Research Centre (Goa).

The species was found in the biodiverse Western Ghats, a known hotspot for amphibian diversity.