Jul 21, 2008

Ajolotes are Bipedal (Kinda)

Tina saw my post on the slow worm, which is in fact a legless lizard. Then she found this creature, which has only a single pair of legs, but is neither a snake nor a lizard. In fact, it is unusual for creatures of this genus, the Amphisbaenians, to have legs at all. First a creature that should have legs, now one that shouldn't.

Photo source: Unexplained Mysteries



















Say hello to the ajolote of Mexico. As you might expect, given the configuration of the claws and the lack of pigmentation, the ajolote is a subterranean, burrowing creature. The scales are arranged in rings, giving it a wormy appearance. The nubby tail doesn't help either. This is a very confused creature.

But it goes to show that it's hard to find good looking a subterranean animal. But what good are looks if you never see the light? It's easy to be ugly when you can't see yourself in the mirror.

Thanks, Tina.

15 comments:

Annica said...

Kjewt!

jynxkat said...

incredible O_O

Anonymous said...

I dunno. You say ugly, I say a cutie-patootie. :B

amandacheryl said...

lol, I think it's adorable...little claws...eeheehee.. =]

Unknown said...

A face only a mother could love! LOL. Great post as always!

Anonymous said...

This seems a bit weird for a mexican creature, Ajolote is the
Spanish word for the axolotl:
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajolote

vs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axolotl

--Ratz

Anonymous said...

Its widdle face and widdle arms/hands are cute... but the rest of it, especially the stubby tale, give me the willies! It looks like an octopus tentacle.

Sherry SofN

Anonymous said...

It's a fake...

Anonymous said...

Hm... wiki redirect to axolotl which looks somewhat completely different than creature on the picture, but I've found another definition for the title: Bipes biporus

tammy p. said...

er, i hate to be the downer, but i believe this is a photoshop fake. as far as i can remember (which for a lot of people is proof enough) this was one of the photos in a contest for merging different kinds of animals. this was around 1997-1998.

anyhoo, sorry i can't remember the site. however, i am somewhat of an armchair biologist and i don't think this is real!

Anonymous said...

vaguegirl,
It's not a fake, just google for
"bipes biporus" and you will see!

Denita TwoDragons said...

Vaguegirl--

Yes, it's real!

http://www.tigr.org/reptiles/species.php?genus=Bipes&species=biporus

--TwoDragons

tammy p. said...

unless the whole world is against me, you are right! thanks for letting me know without being mean about it. what a f*cking WEIRD beastie, eh?

Anonymous said...

No es un ajolote, inútil!!! Pon "ajolote" en google imagenes y mira lo que sale.

Hay que ser inútil para publicar algo sin investigarlo antes...

Anonymous said...

not an Axólotl, anyway,they are magnificent and marvelous creatures, they can regenerate any tissue, even it's brain or full limbs.