What we know about the Barbados threadsnake, the world's smallest snake missing for 2 decades

Time of India

24-07-2025

Rare and cryptic
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Confirmed through lab analysis
A sign of hope for conservation
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A species of snake once thought lost to science has been rediscovered in the forests of Barbados. The Barbados threadsnake , believed to be the world's smallest snake, was spotted during an ecological survey in March 2025 by ecologist Connor Blades and his team. The official announcement and detailed confirmation were only made public on July 23, 2025, through a press release by Re: wild and the Barbados Ministry of EnvironmentThe elusive reptile, just about 10 centimetres long and 2 millimetres wide, hadn't been officially seen in nearly two decades.'It hasn't been seen in basically two decades, so it was quite an exciting find,' said Blades, a project officer with the Ministry of Environment in Barbados. 'Probably one of the highlights of my career so far.'The snake was found beneath a small rock in a forested area, one of the last patches of relatively natural woodland left on the island. Its tiny size and worm-like appearance often lead to it being mistaken for an earthworm. It is blind, feeds on termite eggs, and lives underground, making it hard to spot.So far, scientists have only documented the species a handful of times since 1889. After being wrongly classified for years, US biologist S. Blair Hedges officially identified it as a distinct species in 2008.A microscope confirmed the snake's identity at the University of the West Indies. Key markings, including faint dorsal lines, helped distinguish it from other similar species, such as the Brahminy blind snake, an invasive species in Barbados.A month after the first sighting, another Barbados threadsnake was found in a different location, further boosting hopes for its survival.The rediscovery was part of a long-running effort under the Conserving Barbados' Endemic Reptiles project, in collaboration with Re:wild , an international conservation group.Since European colonisation, Barbados has lost 98 per cent of its natural forests. The threadsnake's survival in the remaining forest pockets highlights the urgent need to protect what's left.'It reminds us that we still have something important left that plays an important role in our ecosystem,' said Justin Springer of Re: wild.Barbados has increased its overall tree cover over the past decades, but natural, moist forests, the threadsnake's preferred habitat, remain rare. Conservationists hope the rediscovery will guide future efforts to protect endangered species on the island.'If the threadsnake population isn't very dense, I'm worried about their ability to find mates, particularly if their habitat is under threat,' said Blades.