In September 2026, researchers reported the discovery of a new species of legless amphibian — the caecilian Gegeneophis chandgadi — in the Chandgad area of Kolhapur district in the northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra. This discovery, made by a team from the Zoological Survey of India and several universities, highlights how little we know about life beneath the surface even in densely populated regions.
Caecilians are secretive creatures that lead an underground life and often resemble earthworms or blind snakes. The new species is named after the local Chandgadi dialect, honouring the linguistic and cultural identity of the region, as well as the knowledge of local residents who helped scientists find the specimen in the village of Buzawale. The animal does not live in protected forests but among residential and agricultural lands, where people go about their daily lives.
The Western Ghats remain a centre of diversity for Indian caecilians: of the 41 species known in the country, most are endemic to this very mountain range. With the discovery of Gegeneophis chandgadi, the number of species in the genus Gegeneophis in India has reached twelve, with eleven of them strictly confined to the Ghats. Such finds show that even in human-modified landscapes, unique subterranean fauna persists, of which we still have only fragmentary knowledge.
The discovery was made possible by a combination of molecular analysis, morphological measurements and field observations. Scientists emphasise that without the participation of local residents, whose traditional knowledge helped localise the species, the work could have dragged on for years. This is a reminder that scientific progress often relies on close interaction with those who come into contact with nature every day.
Such finds force us to reconsider the familiar notion of "wild" nature as something remote and untouched. It turns out that key elements of biodiversity can exist literally underfoot in gardens and fields, if only we learn to notice and value them.
Every such discovery is one more argument in favour of caring for the soil and landscapes that we consider ordinary.
