Brahminy Blind Snake

1 Overview

The Brahminy blind snake (Indotyphlops braminus) is a tiny non-venomous blind snake of the suborder Scolecophidia. Native to Asia and Africa but now spread worldwide. It burrows and is often mistaken for an earthworm.

SOURCE NOTE: the source gave ‘Ramphotyphlops braminus’; the current binomial is Indotyphlops braminus. Non-venomous.

2 Appearance

Lives in burrows, tiny and good at digging, often confused with earthworms. The only difference: its body has no obvious segmented rings. Small; the largest (African giant blind snake) reaches 750 mm, but most are under 200 mm. Slightly flattened snout; eyes hidden under eye scales; small mouth on the head underside; few teeth on the maxillary; vestigial pelvis or none.

3 Habitat & Environment

Originally Asia and Africa, now worldwide; private keeping is rare. In the wild it lives underground in ant or termite nests; eats ant eggs when young, ants when older; also in damp forest trees. Under rotting wood, leaf litter, garbage heaps, rock crevices – dark damp places; active on the surface at night or after rain; agile. Common at low elevations; numbers fair.

4 Diet & Feeding

Distribution depends on humidity and temperature. Eats ants and termites, plus their eggs and larvae. In soil it also eats fly larvae, centipedes, termites and other insect eggs, larvae or pupae – so it is beneficial, not harmful, to crops.