Gegeneophis primus

Gegeneophis primus is the scientific name of a caecilian (limbless) amphibian reported from Kerala. A team of scientists from the University of Kerala; Central University, Kasaragod; and Natural History Museum, London, have reported this discovery from the southern region of the Western Ghats in Kerala.

Gegeneophis primus belongs to the Indotyphlidae family comprising African, Seychellean and Indian varieties.

It is the first new species of Gegeneophis reported from Kerala since1964. The species were collected from the Sugandhagiri Cardamom Estate neighbouring an evergreen forest at Vythiri in the northern district of Wayanad. Measuring approximately 168 mm in length and pink in colour, the specimens were dug out from moist soil along the shrub-covered banks of a stream under a dense canopy.