Strange sounds in a blind reptile

The suborder amphisbaenian, composed of near 150 species, all them blind reptiles with subterranean habits, is still much misterous. In 1985 I found sound emission in the only european species of this group, Blanus cinereus. The sound has some variation in its notes and distribution, and can last hours. Still no sound production has been discovered in any other species of amphisbaenian. This video was made inside an anechoic chamber, thus without any echoes. From XVI century it is known from spanish indian naturalists the astonishing relation of these reptiles with ants, in which nest it is usual to find them. The indians had a curious name for these tropical anphisbaenians: "mother of ants". In the video it can be appreciated how sound emission corresponds (in a way I don't know) with gular movement, perhaps due to hioid bone displacement. If this sound may have some relation with ant predation, intraespecific communication or echolocation, further research is needed to solved the answer.

Autor: José María Gómez Durán

Extraños sonidos en un reptil ciego

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Sounds
• blind
• reptiles
• ants
• blanus
• amphisbaenians

[predatora]

I think, this sound using as a radar to recognize environment and find its own species.

[josemarygd]

Yes, in deed, that is a very interesting possible function of these sounds. But experiments are needed to solve the question.

[josemarygd]

Thank you, DanHarkless. There exist near 150 species of these blind reptiles through the tropycs. I wonder if this kind of sound emission is spread in some other species of that subfamily.

[DanHarkless]

Interesting finding -- thanks for sharing.

[leoreptil1]

lemdaaa

[NebulaBurst]

nothing so strange..... thats how it sees and they should feed the worm to a blind human... THE END