About Gegeneophis valmiki:
- It is a rare, subterranean amphibian species, discovered in the northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra.
- The name Gegeneophis valmiki honors the historic Maharshi Valmiki Mandir located near the discovery site.
- It belongs to the genus Gegeneophis, commonly called blind caecilians.
- Caecilians, often called “hidden amphibians”, are limbless, worm-like creatures that spend most of their lives underground.
- Their burrowing improves soil aeration and structure, their feeding helps regulate soil invertebrates, and they form part of the food web for birds, reptiles and small mammals.
- They also represent a key evolutionary link between aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates.
