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A limbless amphibian has been added to the fauna in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve
Assam’s wildlife officials said a team of herpetologists recorded the striped caecilian (Ichthyophis spp) in the tiger reserve for the first time during a rapid herpetofauna survey conducted from June 14-17.
Striped caecilian (Ichthyophis spp)
Caecilians are limbless amphibians that spend most of their lives burrowed under soil.
They are, therefore, the least studied of the amphibian species.
As they are an ancient species, their presence holds critical linkages to evolution and intercontinental speciation
Ichthyophis davidi, the Chorla giant striped caecilian, is a new caecilian species of India discovered in Chorla, a village situated in the Mhadei region of India.
It is one of the largest known limbless, yellow-striped caecilians from the Western Ghats.
Kaziranga National Park
It is located in the State of Assam and It is the single largest undisturbed and representative area in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain.
It was declared as a National Park in 1974.
It has been declared a tiger reserve since 2007.
It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
It is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
It is the home of the world's most one-horned rhinos.
Much of the focus of conservation efforts in Kaziranga are focused on the 'big four' species— Rhino, Elephant, Royal Bengal tiger and Asiatic water buffalo.
As per the figures of tiger census conducted in, Kaziranga had an estimated 104 tigers
Kaziranga is also home to 9 of the 14 species of primates found in the Indian subcontinent.
The National Highway 37 passes through the park area.
The park also has more than 250 seasonal water bodies, besides the Diphlu River running through it.
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