Worm Snake ID Please [Leptotyphlops sp.]

[Rishaad]

Hi

I was given this snake by a friend of mine a while back and I actually forgot to post it. I know its a worm snake but I dont know the exact species. From what Ive been reading none of the worm snakes occur in Hillcrest where it was found. Any ideas ?

[Buck Rogers]

eish, I hate viewing on my cellphone cause the image is so small & cuts it as well. Was it as think as a pen, squirmy, and have a barb/point on the end of its tail??

If yes to all the above its a bibron's blind snake.

[Mongoose]

There are very few Leptotyphlops you can I'd from a photo and this is not one of them. You will need a microscope or a good eye piece and you will have to check out the scale morphology.

There are 3 species that occur there..

[Rishaad]

Install opera mini on your phone and you can change the image size to display larger. It works well. It was much thinner than a pen and I cant remember whether it had a pointy tail.

[Rishaad]

Thanx Mongoose. Can you tell me which 3 species occur there?

[froot]

Shot in the dark, Peter's thread snake.

[Rishaad]

@froot - Thats what I thought as well but do they occur in that area?

[Mongoose]

L.c.conjunctus L.s.scutifrons and L.distanti

[Durban Keeper]

From what Ive been reading none of the worm snakes occur in Hillcrest where it was found

Ask Devon, Jayd or Eugene. When we herped Hillcrest on our second KZNHU mission our first find was a thread snake & we must have found another 20 atleast during the course of the day. sometimes even two or three under the same rock.

I'd put my money on L.scutifrons.

D

[Mongoose]

Yes, in some places these snakes can be very common! There is a place outisde Port Elizabeth where over 100 were found in a few hours..