Barbados researchers locate the world’s tiniest snake after two decades of searching

A joint survey by Barbados’ Ministry of the Environment and National Beautification and the NGO Rewild resulted in the rediscovery of the Barbados threadsnake, the world’s smallest known snake, after almost two decades of no confirmed records. Fieldworkers lifted a rock beneath a jack-in-the-box tree and found a tiny snake alongside an earthworm, prompting careful identification because of its similarity to the Brahminy blind snake.

Microscopic analysis at the University of the West Indies confirmed distinctive pale orange lines and lateral eye placement, confirming it as the endemic threadsnake. The animal, measuring just 3 to 4 inches when adult, lives underground and had been documented only a handful of times since 1889. Conservationists see the find as a chance to map the snake’s remaining range and develop measures to safeguard the fragmentary forest that persists on the island, where 98% of primary forest has been cleared. Ongoing surveys aim to better understand the species and prevent further loss of Barbados’ endemic wildlife.