A new tadpole that burrows through sand has been discovered in the Western Ghats of India, scientists report.
The researchers' study, published in the journal Plos One, says that tadpoles would not normally burrow through sand, nor swallow the material, but this "remarkable tadpole" does.
It belongs to the Indian Dancing frog family, Micrixalidae.
The study added that the new findings underlined the "uniqueness of amphibians" of the Western Ghats.
A group of scientists from University of Delhi, University of Peradeniya and Gettysburg College discovered and documented the larvae, and genetically confirmed their identity as Micrixalus herrei.
"These tadpoles probably remained unnoticed all these years because of their fossorial nature, which in itself is a rare occurrence in the amphibian world," said Prof SD Biju from University of Delhi.
The scientists said these tadpoles were discovered from "deep recesses of =read more on bbc link=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-35927354
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