An amateur photographer in Kenya suddenly captured an image of a strange reptile that looks like a snake but closer inspection actually has four tiny legs.
According to Dailymail news , an amateur wildlife photographer has captured for the first time a rare reptile species that looks like a snake but closer inspection actually has four tiny legs. Moreover, this animal also has a notched tongue instead of the characteristic forked tongue of snakes. Research has found that this is a feature of a short-legged lizard that has been dormant for a long time.
Sjoerd van Berge Henegouwen, 48, was visiting the Masai Mara in Kenya when he discovered this strange animal. At first he thought it was just an ordinary snake. The Dutch photographer immediately took out his camera and snapped a few pictures of the 20-inch-long animal before it slithered into the nearby grass.
The world of wildlife has a lot of interesting things
When he got home, Sjoerd went on the internet and found out information about this strange animal. He discovered that it had similarities with those of the short-legged SWestern Serpentiform lizard, but he could not find any living images of the animal.
He posted the pictures on his Facebook. A few minutes later, a series of reptile researchers around the world sent him friend requests. One of them, Dr. Phillip Wagner says, is the first photograph of a living Western Serpentiform. Other photos of this animal are all dead individuals. He went to Sjoerd and asked permission to publish it in a reptile book.
Another doctor from the Lindenhof Conservation Center in Bavaria added that it is difficult to know the status of the reptile because they are almost never seen. They usually live in very remote grasslands.
This reptile looks like a snake but has four tiny legs
He said: “We don’t know how rare they are because they are very hard to find. In my life, I have met two individuals of this species: one dead by the roadside and another alive but still alive. I wasn’t able to photograph it. This reptile has very little biodiversity, they look and move like snakes. Their limbs are barely used.”
“This is an important find. These pictures show great detail about their colors and movements, helping researchers for many years like me to better describe this animal.” The Western Serpentiform is commonly found in East African countries such as Kenya, Zambia and Tanzania. They are harmless to humans and their main food sources are insects and spiders.
