TAMPA, Fla.— For a while, it was only a myth, like a sasquatch or the Loch Ness Monster, but this one lurked in the swamps of Florida.
However, this mysterious swamp dweller turned out to be real; and it’s called the reticulated siren, or the “leopard eel” according to a study published in PLOS ONE. It is a new member of the salamander family.
The "leopard eel" can grow up to almost two feet long and is among one of the largest amphibians in the world, the article said.
Sean Graham, one of the authors of the article, said the search for the salamander began when he was sitting around a campfire during his undergraduate years.
"The way this siren was described was exciting. It was big and distinctive looking, yet it had never been defined," Graham explained.
Graham said he told his friend, and the co-author of the article David Steen, about the fabled amphibian while they were working on their PhD.s. Steen got on board with Graham to try and find the mysterious salamander. However, they were striking out left and right.
That all changed when they were out working on other research.
"I got the call from Dave and he says, 'I got one, you know what I mean' -- which is funny because if you ask him, I'm the salamander guy," Graham told 10News.
Graham said seeing the salamander alive was exciting and unbelievable.
"He one-upped me," Graham said.
Since then the search was on to find and study the mystifying aquatic animal.
If the leopard print wasn’t enough to make this amphibian stand out, it has an adaptation that’s unlike most salamanders, according to National Geographic. It has no back legs.
The article published in PLOS ONE said the salamander’s main slithering grounds were the marshes between Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
Graham said while many people think of Yellowstone National Park or Yosemite National Park as hot spots for biodiversity, the Florida Panhandle is right up there with them.
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