Barbados threadsnake

Tetracheilostoma carlae

Tetracheilostoma carlae (synonym: Leptotyphlops carlae ) is a species of snake in the family of Slender Blind Snakes ( Leptotyphlopidae ), which is endemic to Barbados. The species was scientifically described in 2008 by Blair Hedges and named after his wife, Carla Ann Hass. Beyond that was also announced that two undescribed museum specimens of this snake exist, which were collected in 1889 and 1963. The species is the smallest known snake in the world.

Description

Adult animals have a total length of an average of 99.4 mm and a maximum total length of 104.0 mm, the diameter is in the middle of the body on average 2.51 mm. The live weight of the holotype was 0.6 g The serpent in the middle of the body 14 scale rows, the number of supralabials and the Infralabialia is four.

The base color of the body is the upper side dark brown to black. Side of the center back, there are two pairs of yellowish-gray longitudinal lines; thereby limit the two inner lines a three scale rows wide, red-brown and slightly iridescent zone on the center back. The belly and lower flank areas are pale gray-brown.

Way of life

The nest apparently includes only one egg, because the two previously found pregnant females each had created only one egg. As the original habitat of the species are tropical rain forests, but these are completely destroyed in Barbados. Tetracheilostoma carlae lives there today secondary forests, but these cover the area of ​​the locality only a few square kilometers. About the ecology is otherwise unknown. Slender blind snakes in general digging below the surface and feed on termites and ants and their larvae; a similar way of life is therefore assumed for Tetracheilostoma carlae.