Trump inspires name for blind, amphibious creature
A newly discovered creature has been named after US President Donald Trump. Officially named Dermophis donaldtrumpi, the Panamanian caecilian legless amphibian is blind and buries its head in the sand.
EnviroBuild, a sustainable materials company, paid US$25,000 (FJ$53,237.30) at an auction for the right to officially name the creature. The company’s boss says the blind, burrowing creature was named as a reference to Trump’s stance on climate change.
Aidan Bell said the amphibian’s ability to bury its head in the ground is similar to Donald Trump’s approach to global warming.
A recent US government report published in November showed the devastating effects climate change is already having on the world, including in America. Trump said he didn’t believe his own goverment’s report. The creature was discovered in Panama and its naming rights were auctioned to raise money for the Rainforest Trust.
Its discovery has not yet been officially published in scientific literature but the scientists who found the 10cm caecilian have already agreed to use its official name Dermophis donaldtrumpi.
“It is the perfect name. Caecilian is taken from the Latin caecus, meaning ‘blind’, perfectly mirroring the strategic vision President Trump has consistently shown towards climate change,” Mr Bell said.