If you happen to’ve ever thought snakes had been all lengthy, slithery, and a bit terrifying, the Barbados threadsnake would possibly simply change your thoughts. This tiny creature is formally the smallest identified snake on the earth—and it’s so small, it could actually curl up comfortably on a coin.
Biologist S. Blair Hedges found the Tetracheilostoma carlae (scientific identify) in 2008 in a forest patch on the Caribbean island of Barbados. It measures simply over 10 cm, or about 4 inches. For reference, that’s shorter than most pencils and about as skinny as a spaghetti noodle.
These snakes stay underground and feed primarily on ants and termites, which is smart contemplating their dimension. They’re a part of a household of burrowing snakes known as Leptotyphlopidae and are so small that females often lay just one egg at a time. Apparently, the newborn snake that hatches is already half the dimensions of an grownup—big, proportionally talking!
Found in 2008 by biologist S. Blair Hedges, the Barbados threadsnake (scientific identify Tetracheilostoma carlae) measures simply over 10 cm, or about 4 inches (Supply: Wikimedia Commons)
You gained’t discover them in all places, although. So far as scientists know, they solely stay in a small patch of forest on the japanese aspect of Barbados. And sadly, that forest is shrinking quick. With a lot of their pure habitat being cleared for improvement, the species is now thought-about critically endangered.
So, subsequent time you consider snakes, don’t simply image the large pythons or dramatic cobras. Someplace within the soil of a Caribbean island, the world’s smallest snake is quietly going about its life—smaller than a shoelace, and probably simply as shy.