The animal world is full of surprises, with some creatures being more eye-catching than others because of their strange looks or unusual nature.
When I first saw a picture of this weird “penis snake,” I thought it was a joke. But, to my surprise, it turned out to be a real animal. So, let’s dive into the story behind the viral image that has left thousands of people in shock.
Throughout history, anything shaped like a phallus has grabbed attention and sparked curiosity. A few years ago, images of a strange-looking creature started making the rounds online, leaving many people scratching their heads in disbelief.
With its unique appearance, this mysterious animal quickly earned nicknames like the “penis snake,” “blind snake,” or the “man-aconda.”
But no, it’s not what you think.
Even though it looks a lot like a snake, this creature is actually called *Atretochoana eiselti*. It’s not a snake at all, but an amphibian, more closely related to a salamander. It’s also the largest known lungless tetrapod, which means it breathes through its skin instead of lungs.
This rare animal lives in the waters of the Amazon in Brazil and was hard to find for a long time. It was first discovered by Sir Graham Hales during an expedition with Sir Brian Doll in the late 1800s.
However, it wasn’t officially described until 1968. After more research, scientists reclassified it in 1996, giving it its own unique genus, *Atretochoana*.
In 2011, this species was rediscovered in the Amazon region. It lives only in the Amazon River and its largest tributary, the Madeira River in Brazil. The “penis snake” has only been found in this area and nowhere else in the world.
The viral pictures that blew up the internet a few years ago actually came from 2011. That’s when a whole family of these phallic-shaped creatures was found at the bottom of the Madeira River in Brazil. They were discovered when the river was drained during work on a hydroelectric dam.
Julian Tupan, a biologist working with the Santo Antonio Energy company on the dam, explained that not much is known about these lungless, limbless amphibians.
“Out of the six we collected, one died, three were released back into the wild, and two were kept for study,” he told *Estadao*, according to the U.K.’s *The Sun*.
Tupan pointed out that these “snakes” aren’t dangerous and are unlikely to show any aggressive behavior.
“Even though they look like snakes, they’re not reptiles; they’re more closely related to salamanders and frogs. We think the animal breathes through its skin and probably eats small fish and worms, but that hasn’t been proven yet.
“The Amazon is full of surprises when it comes to reptiles and amphibians. There’s still a lot more to discover.”
The most popular photo, which Julian Tupan shared on Instagram, shows an adult female *A. eiselti* that’s just under 40 inches long.
Even though these creatures are fascinating, there’s still a lot we don’t know about them. One mystery that puzzles researchers is their diet. Scientists think these phallic-shaped animals might eat small fish, worms, and other aquatic invertebrates, but more research is needed to confirm this.
Wikipedia Commons / Tobias von AnhaltAnother mystery about these creatures is how they breathe, as scientists haven’t confirmed the method yet. When the six specimens were discovered in 2011, it made things even more puzzling. What’s especially interesting is where they were found— in cold, fast-flowing water with limited oxygen. Since warmer water holds less oxygen, their ability to live without lungs is even more remarkable.
Based on these findings, scientists believe this species might be widespread across the Brazilian Amazon and could even extend into Bolivia.
Nature constantly surprises us with its endless wonders. From the deepest oceans to the tallest mountains, the natural world is full of amazing things waiting to be discovered.
Share this incredible story on Facebook with your friends and family to spark their curiosity and get them talking about the wonders of nature!
After 6-year-old son passes away, parents find note he left them
I hope that when you’re reading this story you have some tissues to hand because you’re going to need them; I really cried real tears for this little boy and you will too!
This lovely little boy, called Leland Shoemake, wanted his mommy and daddy to have this lovely sweet message from him before his time came to leave this world.
At only the tender age of six-years-old this little boy died of his condition on September 25th, he was undergoing treatment for Balamuthia mandrillaris, a brain-eating amoeba.
His parents returned home without their son to find a note, it was special and it’s something that they will treasure and cherish for all their days!
His mom was in his room, she was organizing and preparing for the funeral, it was Tim who found the note, it was in their living room in a place that he liked to draw and do art.
Time burst into tears as soon as he set his eyes on the note, he ran towards his wife, keen to show her the note he had found…
The note simply ready this:
“Still with you. Thank you, mom and dad. Love mom and dad.”
Amber said:
“To say I lost it was an understatement …We cried together for the longest time.”
Their little boy frequently wrote notes to them, and pictures too, but this one was really so much more special than any of the others, they decided to frame it and have it on the wall in the living room.
After 6-year-old son passes away, parents find note he left them
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I hope that when you’re reading this story you have some tissues to hand because you’re going to need them; I really cried real tears for this little boy and you will too!
This lovely little boy, called Leland Shoemake, wanted his mommy and daddy to have this lovely sweet message from him before his time came to leave this world.
At only the tender age of six-years-old this little boy died of his condition on September 25th, he was undergoing treatment for Balamuthia mandrillaris, a brain-eating amoeba.
His parents returned home without their son to find a note, it was special and it’s something that they will treasure and cherish for all their days!
His mom was in his room, she was organizing and preparing for the funeral, it was Tim who found the note, it was in their living room in a place that he liked to draw and do art.
Time burst into tears as soon as he set his eyes on the note, he ran towards his wife, keen to show her the note he had found…
The note simply ready this:
“Still with you. Thank you, mom and dad. Love mom and dad.”
Amber said:
“To say I lost it was an understatement …We cried together for the longest time.”
Their little boy frequently wrote notes to them, and pictures too, but this one was really so much more special than any of the others, they decided to frame it and have it on the wall in the living room.
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Mom says in her Facebook past that Leland was a clever and very curious little boy!Amber wrote about him:
“He knew his abc’s, numbers, colors, shapes and 20 sight words by the time he was a year old. He was our little nerd and we loved that about him. He loved school and loved to learn. He loved the history channel, the weather channel, documentaries and anything about history …He had a hunger for learning.”
Leland wasn’t just a clever little boy, he also was really sociable too and enjoyed talking with his parents and other people too, every single person who came into contact with him recognized his lovely kind personality, his parents even made new friends because of him.
He was just a really lovely child, but taken way too soon, before he flourished!
This note he left behind, it was simply beautiful, something that everyone should see, words are really not enough to describe what it means to any parent to find something like this in these circumstances.
Amber said about Leland:
“He was our little nerd and we loved that about him. He loved school and loved to learn.”
“He loved the history channel, the weather channel, documentaries and anything about history.”
“He loved ships like the Titanic and learning about things like WWII. He was perfect. His favorite movie was jaws.”
“His favorite director was Steven Spielberg. And his favorite actor was Adam Sandler.”
“He loved his brother and his family so much. He was the life of every party. His smile could light up a city.”
“He was the smartest, most caring, loving little boy there ever was.”
This little boy will be sadly missed by all that knew him, his parents especially and we send our love and prayers to him!
Please SHARE this touching story with your friends and family.
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