A snake with two small legs was found by road maintenance workers on the eastern section of the fifth-ring road on Wednesday, reports Beijing Times yesterday.

The workers noticed the snake, which had a green body and a red neck, "walking" rapidly with the aid of two tiny legs.

Never having seen a limbed snake before, the workers beat the reptile to death for fear it might be venomous.

Gao Wu, a biologist at Capital Normal University, said the snake belonged to a non-poisonous species commonly known as the Tiger-spot snake. Its 'legs' are an atavistic feature.

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