With an elongated body shape, divided into small segments. They don’t have scales and are slimy like worms, but they have eyes and mouths like snakes. Surely many people will be confused about what to call it.
If 10 people encounter them, 7 will probably say they are worms and 3 will think they are snakes. But actually, this animal belongs to the frog family.
This unique animal is called a worm frog by scientists, an amphibian species distributed in many mountainous areas of Vietnam, stretching from Thai Nguyen to Ca Mau.
Here are some pictures of them:
The body of the earthworm frog is shaped like an earthworm but larger. (Photo: Phung My Trung).
Furthermore, the reptile’s body, with smooth, shiny yellow-brown vertical stripes and the wiggly flat head of this worm frog, makes people think of venomous snakes with striking, eye-catching colors. (Photo: War/Nguyen Vu Khoi)
The body length of a worm frog can reach tens of centimeters. (Photo: pskhun)
They differ from worms in that: The head has eyes like two black dots. (Photo: Maxim Ryzhov)
The head of the worm frog is small and slightly flat, the snout is relatively pointed and has a clear jaw. (Photo: biozcw)
In the tadpole stage, worm frogs have gills on both sides of their neck. When mature, the gills on both sides of the neck disappear and the animal breathes differently.
Worm frogs often live in high altitudes such as the Tam Dao range, but people also encounter them in lowland areas such as U Minh forest. (Photo: Maxim Ryzhov)
Living in the soil like worms, they are often found in loose soil about 20 – 30cm deep near ponds and lakes. (Photo: eol.org)
Worm frogs’ food is earthworms and some insects. (Photo: thetexanherper.com)
The number of earthworm frogs is currently quite small because they have lost their habitat in many places. (Photo: Nikolai Orlov)
They lay eggs near water. The number of eggs in a clutch is about 20, connected together by mucus and the female wraps it around to protect the eggs from drying out and regulates the appropriate temperature so that the young have the best opportunity to develop. (Photo: thetexanherper.com)
This unique type of amphibian has been included in Vietnam’s Red Book and is protected by law. (Photo: Pskhun)
