The world’s smallest snake has been rediscovered in Barbados, 20 years after its last sighting, easing fears that the species had become extinct.
The Barbados threadsnake, which can grow to just 10cm in length and is as thin as a strand of spaghetti, was found under a rock in the centre of the island during an ecological survey in March by the environment ministry and conservation organisation Re:wild.
Connor Blades, a project officer for the environment ministry, expressed concern about the snake’s ability to find mates if its habitat continues to be degraded. Blades and Justin Springer, the Caribbean programme officer at Re:wild, had been searching for the threadsnake and other endemic reptiles for more than a year as part of a conservation project.
During the survey, Springer joked he could “smell a threadsnake” while turning over a rock trapped under a tree root – and there it was. The snake was taken to the University of the West Indies, where microscopic examination confirmed its identity by the pale orange lines on its body and a distinctive scale on its nose.
First recorded in 1889, the Barbados threadsnake has only been confirmed a handful of times since. With 98% of the island’s forest cleared for agriculture since colonisation, conservationists fear habitat destruction and invasive species could still drive it to extinction. Springer said the rediscovery is a call to protect Barbados’ forests for all species.
