SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- A U.S. scientist said Sunday he has discovered the globe's tiniest species of snake in the easternmost Caribbean island of Barbados, with full-grown adults typically stretching less than 4 inches (10 centimeters) long.
The snake is so small it can curl up on a U.S. quarter.
S. Blair Hedges, an evolutionary biologist at Penn State University whose research teams also have discovered the world's tiniest lizard in the Dominican Republic and the smallest frog in Cuba, said the snake was found slithering beneath a rock near a patch of Barbadian forest.
Hedges said the tiny-title-holding snake, which is so diminutive it can curl up on a U.S. quarter, is the smallest of the roughly 3,100 known snake species. It will be introduced to the scientific world in the journal "Zootaxa" on Monday.
"New and interesting species are still being discovered on Caribbean islands, despite the very small amount of natural forests remaining," said Hedges, who christened the miniature brown snake "Leptotyphlops carlae" after his herpetologist wife, Carla Ann Hass. Read more here
Posts
3 comments:
I am a bit surprised to see the word "World's tiniest snake found in Barbados". In my state (Kerala, in India), I'm used to see the same snakes from my childhood. In fact during childhood I used to misunderstand them as earth worms. But later I've found out they are not earth worms, for they have eyes, mouth, and scales on its body. It's cute to see them. They used to run much faster than earth worms. If you need to research this is also another place to go for sure. Shony. email:vrshony@gmail.com
Hi,
I am from Trinidad and island just south of Barbados. I would like to let you all know that this snake is also found in Trinidad.
Maybe the scientist can travel over here for confirmation..
hi nice post.. i wonder its too thin
than me.lol...hav a great day.. visit mine if u hav time
Post a Comment