'Lost' for 20 years, world's smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados
During the survey, conducted by Re:wild and the Barbados Ministry of the Environment and National Beautification, Connor Blades, a project officer for the ministry, flipped over a rock that was trapped under a tree. To much surprise, under the rock was an earthworm and a tiny snake, according to the news release.
Blades took the snake back to the University of the West Indies to examine it, where he discovered that the reptile was a Barbados threadsnake. He then returned the snake to the forest.
The Barbados Ministry of the Environment and National Beautification had been searching for the threadsnake, and several other native reptiles, for more than a year as part of a project focused on conserving local reptiles, Blades told USA TODAY.
The threadsnake happened to be part of a "double discovery" for the team that day, he said. In addition to searching for the threadsnake, the team was looking for a jack-in-the-box tree, a broadleaf evergreen known for growing in one single location on Barbados, Blades added. The team discovered the tree shortly before the threadsnake.
An effort to rediscover 'lost' species
The Barbados threadsnake had previously been included in Re:wild's Search for Lost Species, a list of more than 4,300 plants, animals and fungi that have not been officially sighted or documented in at least 10 years.
Since launching the program in 2017, Re:wild, in conjunction with other wildlife organizations, has rediscovered at least 15 species, including the Omiltemi cottontail rabbit, De Winton's Golden Mole and Wallace's Giant Bee. As of July 24, the list on the Re:wild website did not include the Barbados threadsnake.
Why is the Barbados threadsnake so rare?
Several factors may contribute to the rarity of the Barbados threadsnake. The snake reproduces sexually, and females only lay one egg at a time.
"If they're small and they can't find other treadsnakes because they don't travel very far, then they aren't mating and they're not replacing themselves in populations and the population is dwindling," Blades said.
Additionally, threadsnakes' natural habitat is under attack, with 98% of Barbados' primary forest having been cleared for agriculture, specifically sugar cane, over hundreds of years since colonization, according to Re:wild.
When asked why he returned the threadsnake to the forest after examination, Blades said there wasn't a need to keep it, as threadsnakes must be killed to determine their sex and age.
"I didn't want to take the easy way to just kill it and not have to go back. I mean, it's the only one that we've seen in 20 years. I felt uneasy preserving it, to be honest."
Blair Hedges was the last one to officially spot a Barbados threadsnake, back in 2006. In total, only a handful of sightings have been confirmed, dating back to 1889, according to the news release.
What's next?
Scientists still know very little about the Barbados threadsnake, Blades said, but now that there's knowledge they are still around, scientists can enact more holistic conservation efforts to consider them.
"I think the discovery is just the tip of the iceberg," Springer told USA TODAY. "It's kind of a renewed hope that exists and now we can continue to search for it."
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
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The Herald Scotland
25-07-2025
- The Herald Scotland
'Lost' for 20 years, world's smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados
"I was making a joke and in my head I said, 'I smell a threadsnake,'" Justin Springer, a program officer at the biodiversity nonprofit Re:wild, said in a news release about the finding. "I just had a feeling, but I couldn't be sure because we turned over a lot of rocks before that and we saw nothing." During the survey, conducted by Re:wild and the Barbados Ministry of the Environment and National Beautification, Connor Blades, a project officer for the ministry, flipped over a rock that was trapped under a tree. To much surprise, under the rock was an earthworm and a tiny snake, according to the news release. Blades took the snake back to the University of the West Indies to examine it, where he discovered that the reptile was a Barbados threadsnake. He then returned the snake to the forest. The Barbados Ministry of the Environment and National Beautification had been searching for the threadsnake, and several other native reptiles, for more than a year as part of a project focused on conserving local reptiles, Blades told USA TODAY. The threadsnake happened to be part of a "double discovery" for the team that day, he said. In addition to searching for the threadsnake, the team was looking for a jack-in-the-box tree, a broadleaf evergreen known for growing in one single location on Barbados, Blades added. The team discovered the tree shortly before the threadsnake. An effort to rediscover 'lost' species The Barbados threadsnake had previously been included in Re:wild's Search for Lost Species, a list of more than 4,300 plants, animals and fungi that have not been officially sighted or documented in at least 10 years. Since launching the program in 2017, Re:wild, in conjunction with other wildlife organizations, has rediscovered at least 15 species, including the Omiltemi cottontail rabbit, De Winton's Golden Mole and Wallace's Giant Bee. As of July 24, the list on the Re:wild website did not include the Barbados threadsnake. Why is the Barbados threadsnake so rare? Several factors may contribute to the rarity of the Barbados threadsnake. The snake reproduces sexually, and females only lay one egg at a time. "If they're small and they can't find other treadsnakes because they don't travel very far, then they aren't mating and they're not replacing themselves in populations and the population is dwindling," Blades said. Additionally, threadsnakes' natural habitat is under attack, with 98% of Barbados' primary forest having been cleared for agriculture, specifically sugar cane, over hundreds of years since colonization, according to Re:wild. When asked why he returned the threadsnake to the forest after examination, Blades said there wasn't a need to keep it, as threadsnakes must be killed to determine their sex and age. "I didn't want to take the easy way to just kill it and not have to go back. I mean, it's the only one that we've seen in 20 years. I felt uneasy preserving it, to be honest." Blair Hedges was the last one to officially spot a Barbados threadsnake, back in 2006. In total, only a handful of sightings have been confirmed, dating back to 1889, according to the news release. What's next? Scientists still know very little about the Barbados threadsnake, Blades said, but now that there's knowledge they are still around, scientists can enact more holistic conservation efforts to consider them. "I think the discovery is just the tip of the iceberg," Springer told USA TODAY. "It's kind of a renewed hope that exists and now we can continue to search for it." Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@
The Guardian
24-07-2025
- The Guardian
World's smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting
The world's smallest snake has been rediscovered in Barbados, 20 years after its last sighting. The Barbados threadsnake, which had been feared extinct, was rediscovered under a rock in the centre of the island during an ecological survey in March by the environment ministry and the conservation organisation Re:wild. The reptile can reach up to 10cm in length when it is fully grown and is as thin as a strand of spaghetti. It had been on a global list of 4,800 plants, animals and fungi species that have been lost to science. The rarity of the snake is a concern for scientists. Connor Blades, a project officer for the environment ministry, said: 'If the threadsnake population is not very dense, I am worried about their ability to find mates, particularly if their habitat is under threat and being degraded.' Blades and Justin Springer, the Caribbean programme officer at Re:wild, had been looking for the threadsnake and several other endemic reptiles for more than a year as part of a conservation project. During the survey in March, Springer said he jokingly told Blade: 'I smell a threadsnake,' while turning over a rock trapped under a tree root. And there it was. 'When you are so accustomed to looking for things and you don't see them, you are shocked when you actually find it,' Springer said. Blades took the snake to the University of the West Indies where examination under a microscope revealed the pale orange lines running across its body and the scale on its nose that confirmed it was what they were looking for. The first sighting of the Barbados threadsnake was in 1889, and there have only been a handful of confirmed sightings since. The threadsnake reproduces sexually and the females lay only one egg at a time, unlike some other reptiles that can produce fertile eggs without mating. With 98% of the island's forest having been cleared for agriculture since it was colonised more than 500 years ago, conservationists are concerned for the reptile's extinction from habitat destruction and invasive species. 'The threadsnake's rediscovery is also a call to all of us as Barbadians that forests in Barbados are very special and need protection,' said Springer. 'Not just for the threadsnake, but for other species as well. For plants, animals and our heritage.'
The Guardian
24-07-2025
- The Guardian
World's smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting
The world's smallest snake has been rediscovered in Barbados, 20 years after its last sighting. The Barbados threadsnake, which had been feared extinct, was rediscovered under a rock in the centre of the island during an ecological survey in March by the nation's environment ministry and the conservation organisation Re:wild. The reptile can reach 9 to 10 cm in length when it is fully grown and is as thin as a strand of spaghetti. It had been on a global list of 4,800 plants, animals and fungi species that have been lost to science. The rarity of the snake is a concern for scientists. Connor Blades, a project officer for the Barbados environment ministry, said: 'If the threadsnake population is not very dense, I am worried about their ability to find mates, particularly if their habitat is under threat and being degraded.' Blades and Justin Springer, the Caribbean programme officer at Re:wild, had been looking for the threadsnake and several other endemic reptiles for more than a year as part of a conservation project. During a survey in March, Springer jokingly told Blade 'I smell a threadsnake' while turning over a rock trapped under a tree root; to their surprise, the snake was beneath it. 'When you are so accustomed to looking for things and you don't see them, you are shocked when you actually find it,' Springer said. Blades took the snake to the University of the West Indies, and upon examination under a microscope, the pale orange lines running across its body and the scale on its nose confirmed it was what they were looking for. The first sighting of the Barbados threadsnake was in 1889, and there have only been a handful of confirmed sightings since. The threadsnake reproduces sexually and the females lay a clutch of only one egg, unlike some other reptiles that can produce fertile eggs without mating. With 98% of the island's forest has been cleared for agriculture since it was colonised more than 500 years ago, conservationists are concerned for the rediscovered reptile's extinction by habitat destruction and invasive species. 'The threadsnake's rediscovery is also a call to all of us as Barbadians that forests in Barbados are very special and need protection,' said Springer. 'Not just for the threadsnake, but for other species as well. For plants, animals and our heritage.'
