Blair Hedges / Re:wildThe Barbados threadsnake grows up to 10 cm long as adultsBlair Hedges / Re:wild
The Barbados threadsnake (Tetracheilostoma carlae), the smallest snake in the world, was rediscovered under a rock in a forest on the Caribbean island of Barbados during a survey by the country’s Ministry of the Environment and the nongovernmental organization Re:wild. Having not been seen for over 20 years, the species was believed to be extinct. It measures just 10 centimeters in length when fully grown. It looks and behaves similarly to an earthworm, with light orange dorsal lines from head to tail and eyes on the side of its head. It is not venomous. A magnifying glass is needed to differentiate it from an invasive species called the Brahminy blind snake (Indotyphlops braminus). One of the differences is that the Barbados threadsnake reproduces sexually, while females of the Brahminy blind snake are capable of producing fertile eggs without mating. Its conservation status is worrying because forests cover only a small portion of Barbados (Re:wild, July 23).
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