A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO….

On a road through the coastal foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes we came across a most bizarre creature. Picture a Shar Pei, the dog with the skin two sizes too big, and apply that to a legless lizard called Amphisbaena fulginosa. A blunt head and blunt tail makes it confusing to predators, (the name refers to a two headed serpent in Greek mythology) and the loose skin has annulated rings like an earthworm to help it burrow. I picked up the foot-and-a-half long curiosity and was surprised at its strength and vigorous struggle to escape my grasp. I held it firmly but it still managed to turn and bite me on the knuckle, nipping out a generous piece of skin. Their jaws are rigid, unlike those of a snake, and with sharp teeth they give a powerful bite. I struggled to contain this creature while driving the jeep out of the way of traffic on the narrow road, all the while narrating to Wally why this wasn’t a snake. Meanwhile it continued to chomp on my already bloody knuckles, taking another big bite just as I pulled off the road, slashing a deep gash in my index finger that sent a shooting pain all the way to my elbow. I stepped out of the door and launched the critter towards the bushes on the side of the road and sat back down behind the wheel, bleeding profusely, totally defeated. I glanced at Wally who was red faced, silent, but obviously nearly choking while trying to stifle a laugh.