New Limbless Lizard Species Found

It may look like a snake and live like a snake. But a tiny reptile found recently in India is something else entirely, an Indian zoologist announced today.

The 7-inch (18-centimeter) creature is not a serpent at all, but actually a completely new species of limbless lizard, said Sushil Kumar Dutta of North Orissa University.

"The lizard is new to science and is an important discovery. It is not found anywhere else in the world," Dutta told the Associated Press.

"It prefers to live in a cool retreat, soft soil, and below stones," he added.

Though limbless lizards are rare, a number of such species have been found throughout the world, including elsewhere in India.