In Vietnam's driest and hottest region, a limbless forest creature took refuge under a rotten log, scrounging around for termites to eat. Suddenly, something lifted the nearly-blind animal into the air. It tried to defend itself, but to no avail.

Researchers ventured into the dry lowland forest of Nui Chua National Park on three surveys between September 2022 and March 2023, according to a study published Dec. 1 in the journal Zootaxa. They were searching for a type of lizard known as a blind skink.

To locate these lizards, researchers looked for yellow-bellied termites, its favorite food, then searched the surrounding area, one of the study’s co-authors, Nikolay Poyarkov, told McClatchy News in an email.

Digging around in the leaves, soil and rotten logs, researchers found seven of these blind skink lizards, the study said. They took a closer look at the animals and realized they’d discovered a new species of lizard: Dibamus tropcentr, or the Ninh Thuận blind skink.

Ninh Thuận blind skinks have a worm-like body that can reach about 4.6 inches in length, the study said. Their eyes are rudimentary and completely covered by scales. They are also “limbless” with only males having rudimentary hind limbs that form flap-like structures near their tails.