A leg-less lizard; bird brains; and aliens or flares?

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SOUTH AMERICA – A leg-less reptile was recently discovered in central Brazil's Cerrado, a wooded savanna.

The lizard's lack of legs and sharply pointed snout help it swim within sandy soils. It is part of a separate evolutionary line from snakes, and is one of 14 new-to-science species discovered on a four-week expedition to a 1.77-million-acre protected area in the Cerrado.

The team also found several threatened and rare species.

UNITED STATES – This situation creates a whole new meaning for bird brains.

Reportedly, just last week in Seattle, Washington, pigeons were attacked with a dart gun. The strange part about the whole incident is at least three birds have been found alive with the three- to four-inch darts lodged behind their eyes.

A cruelty case worker for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Tori Perry, told a local news team that "This is just a horrifying case."

"Someone who would do this to an animal is a short step away from doing this to a human being," she said.

Apparently, the darts were fired from a blow gun and did not penetrate the pigeons' brains, Perry explained. The injuries, however, are likely to worsen and become infected, resulting in "a very, very painful death."

The animal-rights group is offering a $2,000 reward for information about the attacks. At the same time, local animal-control officials are trying to figure out how they may be able to capture and treat the birds.

UNITED STATES – Residents of Phoenix are unsure where four mysterious red lights came from.

Witnesses said the lights recently appeared and formed a straight line before changing to a square and then a triangle. It then disappeared. Many people witnessed the scene and reportedly felt puzzled and slightly frightened.

A man who lives on the north side of the city claims he's responsible. Reportedly, he told TV news crews he used a fishing line to attach road flares to helium-filled balloons then lit the fares and launched them a minute apart from his backyard.

A Phoenix Police Department helicopter pilot, who witnessed the lights, confirmed they appeared to be flares, possibly hanging from one or more helium balloons.

Column completed through Internet research.