New Blind Capital Species Found On Buton Island

JAKARTA - Indonesia is known as a country with extraordinary biodiversity, including various animal species that are only found in certain areas.

One of the richness of this fauna is again revealed through the discovery of a new blind lizard species from an underground reptile group, adding to the length of the endemic animal list that lives scattered in the archipelago.

A team of researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has succeeded in identifying and describing a new type of Blind Capital called Dibamus oetami. This Reptile was found on Buton Island, Southeast Sulawesi, and is known as an animal that only exists in the region.

According to Awal Riyanto, a Intermediate Expert Researcher from the Center for Biosystematics Research and BRIN Evolution, this lizard is classified as a fosorial animal or an underground resident. Its body shape resembles a worm, has an eye that is degenerate, and has no legs on the female, while the male only has flap-shaped remains.

"Genus Dibamus spread from Southeast Asia to Papua New Guinea, but because of his hidden behavior and the scarcity of specimens, many of these species have not been identified properly," he explained.

Previously, the blind lizard population in Indonesia was generally classified as Dibamus novaegueineae. However, through morphological analysis and geographical propagation, researchers found that the population that inhabits Buton Island shows a unique character that distinguishes it from other species in the same group.

The naming of Dibamus oetamai was given as a form of respect for Jakob Oetama, an Indonesian national press figure, who is known for his dedication to the truth and ethics of journalism. The local name proposed for this species is the Buton Blind Capital.

"Tunism and research activities have something in common: both born from curiosity and commitment to fact-finding, although not always perfect, but must not deviate from the truth," Awal said.

In terms of description, this lizard has a body length (movong to vent or SVL) of up to 145.7 mm. The head of this species has its own characteristics, without medial and lateral sutur on the rostril scales, as well as a larger frontal part than the original front. The body color is marked by two to three transverse bright lines.

Dibamus oetasai's natural habitat is the muson rainforest on Buton Island, especially in areas with heights below 400 meters above sea level. This discovery underscores the importance of preserving natural habitats in small islands that turn out to be home to rare creatures.

Awal emphasized that this finding is clear evidence that the wealth of reptiles in Indonesia, especially in the Wallacea region, which is a high biodiversity area, still holds many mysteries. We have just touched the surface of the potential diversity of Indonesian reptiles. This discovery is a reminder that there are still many unique species waiting to be found," he concluded.