Jakarta. The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has discovered and described a new species of blind lizard originating from Buton Island, Southeast Sulawesi.

The species has been named Dibamus oetamai and is an endemic fauna with unique characteristics that distinguish it from its closest relatives.

Awal Riyanto, a Senior Researcher from the Research Center for Biosystematics and Evolution at BRIN, explained that this animal belongs to a group of underground (fossorial) reptiles with worm-like bodies, degenerated (non-functional) eyes, and no legs in females, while males possess vestigial limbs in the form of small flaps.

"This genus is widely distributed from Southeast Asia to Papua New Guinea, but many of its species remain poorly studied due to the rarity of specimens and their secretive habits," said Awal, as quoted from Antara on Wednesday.

Previously, blind lizard populations in eastern Indonesia, including Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua, were considered to belong to a single species, Dibamus novaeguineae. However, recent morphological and geographic distribution analyses indicate that the population from Buton Island has distinctive features that set it apart from other species in the same genus.

As a tribute to a national press figure, this species was named Dibamus oetamai, referring to Jakob Oetama, founder of one of Indonesia’s prominent media outlets. The proposed local name is Kadal Buta Buton (Buton Blind Lizard).

Awal further explained that this blind lizard species from Buton Island has a maximum body length (from snout to cloaca) of approximately 145.7 mm, with distinctive head scale structures, including the absence of a rostral suture on the medial and lateral sides, and a larger frontal scale compared to the frontonasal. Its body is adorned with two to three light-colored bands, and it inhabits monsoon rainforest areas of Buton Island at elevations below 400 meters above sea level.

This discovery is an important contribution to the understanding of Indonesia’s biodiversity, especially among underground reptiles that remain poorly studied. Awal emphasized that the finding demonstrates that the Wallacea region, including smaller islands like Buton, harbors biological riches that have yet to be fully uncovered.

"This discovery (the blind lizard from Buton Island) shows that much of Indonesia's reptile diversity remains undiscovered, particularly in the Wallacea region, which is a biodiversity hotspot," he concluded.

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