THE US faces being overrun by strange-looking “penis snakes” that appear to have slithered up from the Amazon.
Caecilians can grow up to 32 inches long and one was found in a Miami canal in November 2019.
DNA analysts think the sighting was the first time the animal was spotted in Florida or the US.
Officials are concerned that the species may have settled in other parts of the country.
The worm-like creatures are native to Colombia and Venezuela but have been found near the basin of the Amazon River, according to Mongabay
Caecilians do not have any legs and their name means "blind" in Latin.
But, some species may have tiny eyes tucked away under their skin.
Caecilians use tentacles that help the animal smell food, MailOnline reports.
STRANGE CREATURE
Not a lot is known about these animals but fossils that reportedly date back around 170million years were found in North America.
Coleman Sheehy, manager of Florida Museum’s herpetology collection, said: “Very little is known about these animals in the wild, but there's nothing particularly dangerous about them, and they don't appear to be serious predators.
“They'll probably eat small animals and get eaten by larger ones. This could be just another non-native species in the South Florida mix.”
It’s thought that are around 200 species of caecilians and they tend to live underground, according to Wired.
Caecilians move like worms and they tend to eat termites but can grab small snakes, frogs, and lizards.
Their prey is swallowed whole no matter what size it is.
Lawmakers in Florida are in the process of banning the sale, ownership, and breeding of reptiles including green iguanas and several types of python, according to the Miami Herald.
Owners that currently have pets will be required to apply for a permit.
A total ban is expected to come into force in 2024.
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Officials say the ban is being introduced as the reptiles can “negatively impact” Florida’s ecosystems, economy or risk human health and safety.
In August 2018, a genetic study found cross-bred DNA in an invasive snake species that had emerged from the Florida Everglades.
The beast was spawned from a mix of Burmese and Indian python snakes and officials warned they could be found across America as they are suited to a range of different climates and environments.
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