5 most rare snakes in the world that cannot be spotted easily

Time of India

07-07-2025

Discover some of the world's rarest snakes. The St. Lucia Racer, Antiguan racer, and Albany adder face critical endangerment. The short-nosed sea snake was rediscovered in Australia. Bailey's hot-spring snake lives in Tibet. Conservation efforts offer hope. These snakes highlight the need to protect ecosystems. Their survival depends on preserving their unique habitats.
It gives an exceptional thrill to learn about the world's most elusive snakes, including those slithering reptiles that are vanishing with the changing conditions of the environment and which only a few humans will ever see.
These rare reptiles remind us how the ecosystems need to be taken care of and how much of nature still lies hidden. Snakes survive in remote, specially adapted habitats, and their scarcity highlights how unique they are and how vulnerable they can be. Here are five of these extraordinary creatures of the snake kingdom.
St. Lucia racer
Considered the rarest snake globally, with fewer than 20 individuals left, the St. Lucia Racer lives on St.
Lucia's tiny Maria Major islet in the Caribbean. This non‑venomous colubrid blends into dry scrubland, preying on lizards. Declared extinct in 1936, it was rediscovered in 1973 and remains critically endangered due to invasive mongooses and habitat loss.
Antiguan racer
It was once limited to the 8-hectare Great Bird Island off Antigua, and the Antiguan racer population was reduced to about 51 by 1995. Since then, it has rebounded to over 1,100 by the removal of invasive species and habitat restoration.
Non‑venomous and shy, it lives in coastal woodlands and beaches. Though still critically endangered, this recovery effort offers hope to other rare island snakes.
Albany adder
A small, venomous viper found only in South Africa's Eastern Cape, the Albany adder went unseen for decades until its rediscovery in 2016. With fewer than 12 recorded sightings, it's critically endangered. It also remains camouflaged mainly among fynbos and dune vegetation, it faces threats from habitat loss and illegal collection.
Short‑nosed sea snake
This rare marine serpent, also known as the Sahul reef snake, inhabits coral reefs off northwestern Australia, including Ashmore and Hibernia Reefs. It was long thought extinct until a 2021 rediscovery; it's critically endangered due to coral bleaching and ocean changes. Its specialized reef habitat makes it extremely shy and rarely seen.
Bailey's hot‑spring snake
This high-altitude snake lives only in Tibet, near hot springs on the Tibetan Plateau above 4,300 m. Known from a few sites, it's near-threatened due to its limited distribution. Adapted to volcanic streams, it remains rarely seen by humans. Its spartan habitat makes it one of Asia's most enigmatic snakes.