World's smallest snake?
Evolutionary biologist Blair Hedges has great luck with tiny herps. In 2001, he co-discovered the world's smallest lizard (above left) on an island off the coast of the Dominican Republic. Now, the Penn State evolutionary biologist has described what seems to be the world's tiniest species of snake (above right). Found in Barbados, the threadsnake averages just 100 millimeters long. From Science News:
Islands are often homes for very large or very small species. Some lineages on continents never make it out to islands, so island dwellers have opportunities to fill niches they wouldn’t on the mainland. Hence, when searching for an unusual form of an animal, such as minis or giants, islands make good places to start looking.World's smallest snake (Science News)
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Think of how many of these you could fit on a plane!
The coin on the left (for the benefit of any non-USians reading this) is actually smaller than the coin on the right; the dime is about 18mm diameter, while the quarter is about 24mm.
Never mind the critters, I want that big novelty dime!
Incredibly adorable. I like the snake best.
It's always amazing to see vertebrates that are smaller than many insects.
You might point out in the post that the coin on the left is a US dime, about 18 mm in diameter, and the coin on the right is a US quarter, about about 24 mm in diameter.
I discovered tiny herps a while back, but I haven't told anyone. This is anonymous, isn't it?
Wouldn't it be easier to just say 10 cm? And frankly, while small, that doesn't seem inordinately small.
Ok. When this guy reveals the world's smallest armadillo next week, I say we get a warrant to search his house for the shrink ray.
Wow! He also discovered the world's smallest quarter---clearly smaller than the (apparently standard) dime on the left.
Yet another inflation indicator.
The visual aid of the coins does not help when they are pictured disproportionate to one another.
Please fix.
WOW this is really "breaking news" - only problem is that the Guinness Book of Records listed this snake in its 1985 edition!
It also exists on the islands of Martinique and Grenada.
#12: "The new species edges out other contenders — namely threadsnake cousins — for the superlative by only a matter of millimeters".
Read the article.
Seriously, thread snakes must be fairly widely spread. We certainly used to get them back in South Africa. Peculiar (and fascinating) little beasties.
I found this snake in my car 2 days ago, in Florida.
#13, Kieran:
Yes, thread snakes (and the closely related blind snakes) are found in most tropical and subtropical parts of the world.
One blind snake, the flowerpot snake, has also been accidentally introduced to loads of places outside its natural range, via the plant trade. As this species is parthenogenetic, only one individual is needed to establish a colony.
Incidentally, the eggs of these snakes have been described as like grains of rice. It's mind-blowing to imagine the size of the neonates...
Blair Hedges found not only the world's smallest lizard and snake, but also, in 1993, the smallest frog. Source :
http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2008/08/smallest_known_snake_discovere.php
"I have herps on my head"
I'm sorry, but I have to agree with my fellow countrymen here...I grew up with this "snake" in my backyard and even saw one up to a few weeks ago slithering it's way across my patio...For Hedges to say he "discovered" this, is a slap in the face to us Barbadians (Bajans)..It makes us seem ignorant and un-educated which we are far from.
And to name this snake after his wife is nothing short of ludicrous..I believe if he had included the name Barbados we would have embraced that.
This guys claims he fund the worlds smallest snake, please take a look at below link. More evidentally if you all had a copy of this newspaper, you all would see one of these snakes found back in 1990's lying on a barbadian cent.
http://www.nationnews.com/story/295360708680521.php