I live in Parrish, FL (about 10 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, near Bradenton / Tampa, FL) and we have a marsh area in the back yard that is typically submerged during the summer rainy season and then dries out in the winter. The area is almost dry now, down to a small 10' x 10' puddle and full of minnows, catfish, crawfish, and other creatures. Anyhow, I took a net out to catch everything and move it out to a large pond in the front yard before the area became completely dry. In the process, I caught three of the strangest looking "things"...they look similar to sirens but no legs or gills. They also look similar to Caecilians (legless amphibians) but this critter is smooth, and the caecilian photos I've seen show 'ridges' similar to those on an earthworm. I thought it might be a freshwater eel but read that the only eel in the Western hemisphere is the American eel, which this is not. It has the finlike ridges near it's tail like an eel but not nearly as large. It also definitely is not a glass snake / lizard. I do believe it burrows- there were several holes in the marsh area that I suspect these created, and they also submerge themselves in the mud under water. Can anyone help me identify this please? I've looked everywhere I can think of with no success! Feel free to email me: Email Me
