The animal world is full of surprises, with some creatures being more eye-catching than others because of their strange looks or unusual nature.
When I first saw a picture of this weird “penis snake,” I thought it was a joke. But, to my surprise, it turned out to be a real animal. So, let’s dive into the story behind the viral image that has left thousands of people in shock.
Throughout history, anything shaped like a phallus has grabbed attention and sparked curiosity. A few years ago, images of a strange-looking creature started making the rounds online, leaving many people scratching their heads in disbelief.
With its unique appearance, this mysterious animal quickly earned nicknames like the “penis snake,” “blind snake,” or the “man-aconda.”
But no, it’s not what you think.
Even though it looks a lot like a snake, this creature is actually called *Atretochoana eiselti*. It’s not a snake at all, but an amphibian, more closely related to a salamander. It’s also the largest known lungless tetrapod, which means it breathes through its skin instead of lungs.
This rare animal lives in the waters of the Amazon in Brazil and was hard to find for a long time. It was first discovered by Sir Graham Hales during an expedition with Sir Brian Doll in the late 1800s.
However, it wasn’t officially described until 1968. After more research, scientists reclassified it in 1996, giving it its own unique genus, *Atretochoana*.
In 2011, this species was rediscovered in the Amazon region. It lives only in the Amazon River and its largest tributary, the Madeira River in Brazil. The “penis snake” has only been found in this area and nowhere else in the world.
The viral pictures that blew up the internet a few years ago actually came from 2011. That’s when a whole family of these phallic-shaped creatures was found at the bottom of the Madeira River in Brazil. They were discovered when the river was drained during work on a hydroelectric dam.
Julian Tupan, a biologist working with the Santo Antonio Energy company on the dam, explained that not much is known about these lungless, limbless amphibians.
“Out of the six we collected, one died, three were released back into the wild, and two were kept for study,” he told *Estadao*, according to the U.K.’s *The Sun*.
Tupan pointed out that these “snakes” aren’t dangerous and are unlikely to show any aggressive behavior.
“Even though they look like snakes, they’re not reptiles; they’re more closely related to salamanders and frogs. We think the animal breathes through its skin and probably eats small fish and worms, but that hasn’t been proven yet.
“The Amazon is full of surprises when it comes to reptiles and amphibians. There’s still a lot more to discover.”
The most popular photo, which Julian Tupan shared on Instagram, shows an adult female *A. eiselti* that’s just under 40 inches long.
Even though these creatures are fascinating, there’s still a lot we don’t know about them. One mystery that puzzles researchers is their diet. Scientists think these phallic-shaped animals might eat small fish, worms, and other aquatic invertebrates, but more research is needed to confirm this.
Wikipedia Commons / Tobias von AnhaltAnother mystery about these creatures is how they breathe, as scientists haven’t confirmed the method yet. When the six specimens were discovered in 2011, it made things even more puzzling. What’s especially interesting is where they were found— in cold, fast-flowing water with limited oxygen. Since warmer water holds less oxygen, their ability to live without lungs is even more remarkable.
Based on these findings, scientists believe this species might be widespread across the Brazilian Amazon and could even extend into Bolivia.
Nature constantly surprises us with its endless wonders. From the deepest oceans to the tallest mountains, the natural world is full of amazing things waiting to be discovered.
Share this incredible story on Facebook with your friends and family to spark their curiosity and get them talking about the wonders of nature!
10+ People Who Need a Time Machine to Restart Their Terrible Day
Scientist Stephen Hawking once held a curious experiment. He organized a party with appetizers, balloons, you name it. However, he only sent the invites after the party had already taken place. He wanted to demonstrate that time travel is impossible, and he did.
NASA begs to differ and confirms that time travel is possible, just not in the way we’ve seen in books and movies. This is good news for the following people because they’d love to start their terrible day over.
“My foot after wearing a wet boot with a hole in it for 10 hours”
“A buddy of mine seemed to think stick sun screen was a good idea.”
“Got my license in the mail today.”
“I was sitting on the lid of my toilet waiting for my bath to fill, scrolling on my phone when the lid shattered and I threw my phone in the bath.”
“My BBQ food truck burned down last month.”
“Lent a car to my brother for the day, and as a thank you, he filled up my car with the wrong fuel.”
“I turned on my defrost this morning and came back 10 minutes later to find this.”
“I did an air mold test in my apartment.”
“Went to use the bathroom at a friend’s house — nearly had a heart attack.”
“My job makes us food before each shift. Meet the zucchini hot dog.”
“I dropped my phone and now all my photos are blue-ish.”
“I asked my wife to tidy up my neck with the clippers. Yes, we are still married.”
“What they call a ’cheese’ burger”
“Got stung in the eye at 2 a.m. while asleep by probably one of the last wasps of the season.”
“I dropped the tuna can in the sink.”
“Must have dropped my keys after I locked my car. I came back to this.”
“In a boot with a broken foot on day 7 of 24 of my dream tour of the UK”
“Oops, there’s a pothole there.”
“I guess no pizza for me tonight.”
“I forgot to put sunscreen on my feet.”
If you could live an hour of your life on repeat, which hour would you choose? If you could travel back in time and get stuck in that era, which year would you go for? Let us know in the comments.
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