Blind amphibian named after Donald Trump

A newly discovered amphibian that buries its head in the sand has been named after US President Donald Trump, apparently in response to his comments about climate change, media reported.

"Dermophis donaldtrumpi is particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change and is therefore in danger of becoming extinct as a direct result of its namesake's climate policies," said EnviroBuild co-founder Aidan Bell in a statement on Tuesday.

The small, blind, creature is a type of caecilian that primarily lives underground. It was discovered in Panama and named by the head of a company that had bid $25,000 at an auction for the privilege. The company said it wanted to raise awareness about climate change, the BBC reported.

Although US presidents tend to receive their fair share of honours, with Bell drawing an unflattering comparison between its behaviour and Trump's, the 45th president might want to ignore the latest.

"Burrowing (his) head underground helps Donald Trump when avoiding scientific consensus on anthropomorphic climate change," Bell wrote.

The world's leading scientists agree that climate change is primarily human-induced, but Trump, whose administration has pursued a pro-fossil fuels agenda, has accused those scientists of having a "political agenda" and cast doubt on whether humans were responsible for the Earth's rising temperatures, the BBc report said.

"I don't know that it's manmade," he said in an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes in October. "I'm not denying climate change but (temperatures) could very well go back," he added, without offering evidence.

In November, Trump questioned a report by his own government that found climate change would cost the US hundreds of billions of dollars annually and damage health.

"I don't believe it," he told reporters at the time.

After taking office he announced that the US would withdraw from the Paris Climate accord, which commits countries to keep a limit on rising global temperatures.

He justified his decision by asserting that he had been elected to serve the citizens of Pittsburgh and not Paris and the deal disadvantaged US businesses and workers.

--IANS

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