- Scientists rediscovered the world’s smallest snake, the Barbados threadsnake, after it had been missing from scientific observation for 20 years.
- The tiny blind snake required microscopic examination to distinguish it from an invasive look-alike species before being confirmed and returned to the wild.
- The finding represents a rare success story on an island where 98% of primary forests have been cleared and many endemic species have gone extinct.
- Researchers plan continued surveys to map the snake’s range and develop habitat protection strategies for this critically endangered species.
“Barbados threadsnakes are blind snakes, so they’re very cryptic,” said Blades, a project officer with the Barbados environment ministry, referring to the tendency of blind snakes to spend most of their time underground. “They’re quite rare also, it seems. There have only been a handful of confirmed sightings since 1889, so there are not many people who have ever seen it, unfortunately.”
The expedition was conducted in March by the environment ministry and Re:wild as part of the Conserving Barbados’ Endemic Reptiles (CBER) project. On an island where many endemic species have been driven to extinction, finding this rare snake is a big deal.
“When you are so accustomed to looking for things and you don’t see them, you are shocked when you actually find it,” Springer said. “You can’t believe it. That’s how I felt. You don’t want to get your hopes up too high.”
The threadsnake closely resembles the invasive Brahminy blind snake (Indotyphlops braminus), which was introduced to Barbados in recent decades, so the finding required careful verification. Microscopic examination at the University of the West Indies confirmed the snake’s identity via its pale orange stripes and specific head scale patterns.