Congo snake

(also ‘congo eel’, ‘conger eel’, ‘blind eel’,  and in scientific terms ‘amphiuma’ — for the pronunciation of ‘amphiuma’, please click here;)

a Congo snake

a kind of animal – amphibian – fresh water living salamander; looks like an eel (fish) but not at all related to eels; long thick but smooth body in gray-black colour, with two pairs of very small vestigial legs (= non-functional, useless – cannot or do not use them) and toes on each foot; feeds on frogs, snails, snakes, fish, crabs, shrimps, insects; the length and weight depend on the kind:

1.  three-toed congo snake  (Amphiuma tridactylum)  — 3½ feet long and weighs 2.5-3 Kg.

2.  two-toed congo snake (Amphiuma means)  — 2½ feet long and weighs 1.5-2.5 Kg.

3.  one-toed congo snake (Amphiuma pholeter)  — {much smaller than the other two}

on average, lives for about 17 years; found in the swamp, wet parts of south-eastern USA, North America

Special Features:

tiny front legs

Unlike other salamanders, the congo snake (amphiuma) lives in water all the time but lays eggs on land – in wet places, of course.

It has two pairs of tiny legs which are vestigial, i.e. they are non-functional – cannot be used, but with toes on each foot.

They have sharp teeth, and when disturbed, they can give a very painful bite to people.

Again unlike other salamanders, it gives out a ‘low whistle’ when disturbed!

These eel-like amphibians (amphiuma) have one of the largest amounts of DNA in the present world, about 25 times more than a human!

Though the congo snake is found in the SE of the USA, it is named “Congo”, a country in Africa, because during the slave trade period, people in the States thought that these salamanders were brought from Africa.