Caecilians can grow up to five feet long and DNA analysts believe the first one found in the US was in 2019 in a canal in Miami, Florida. Scientists in Florida are eager to understand more about the rare creature and its prevalence in the state. Florida's ecology already suffers from other invasive species such as the Burmese python, the yellow anaconda and the green iguana. Sheehy said he is trying to determine if the caecilians are an invasive species that will be detrimental to Florida's ecosystem. In August 2018, a genetic study found cross-bred DNA in an invasive snake species that emerged from the Florida Everglades.

Source: Daily Mirror July 30, 2021 15:09 UTC