Is it a lizard? Is it a worm? No... It’s a Worm Lizard!

Lizard, snake or worm? All these possibilities ran though my head whilst taking a swim in the River Napo, when my colleague, Olly ‘Beargrills’ Burdekin, found a reptile swimming right next to him. When the mysterious creature eventually hit land, it became apparent that is wasn’t one of your run-of-the-mill snake sightings. It was an Amphisbaenian!

Amphisbaenians, or Worm Lizards to you and me, are effectively blind. They lack functional eyes and limbs, leading to them being easily confused with worms or snakes. Owing to their fossorial lifestyle (living under ground) they are very rarely encountered. The best chance you have of seeing on is after heavy rain or on a warm wet night... we found ours swimming in the River Napo at mid-day in full hot sunlight! Mother Nature rarely obeys the identification books!

After 5-10 minutes sunning itself on the river bank, the Amphisbaenia fuliginosa burrowed down into the soft silt and disappeared from sight. It was a truly magical encounter!

Christopher Beirne - GVI Amazon Base Manager

Is it a lizard? Is it a worm? No... It’s a Worm Lizard!