Latest news with #rediscovery
The Sun
a day ago
- Science
- The Sun
Mysterious record-breaking snake that vanished for DECADES finally found after creature spotted ‘hiding under a rock'
A RECORD-breaking snake lost to science for nearly two decades has finally resurfaced on the island of Barbados. The Barbados threadsnake - the smallest snake in the world - was rediscovered under a rock during an ecological survey in March. The tiny reptile can coil itself to the size of a coin, and had been on a global list of 4,800 lost plant, animal and fungi species compiled by biodiversity organisation Re:wild. 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. 'Barbados threadsnakes are blind snakes, so they're very cryptic,' said Connor Blades, a project officer with the Ministry of Environment in Barbados, who helped rediscover the threadsnake. 'They're quite rare also, it seems. There have only been a handful of confirmed sightings since 1889, so there are not many people who have ever seen it, unfortunately.' The small serpent is at the limit of how small a snake can be, measuring only about three to four inches long when it is fully grown. Experts have long known that the Barbados threadsnake was an elusive species - with each confirmed sighting having several decades between them. The threadsnake also closely resembles the Brahminy blind snake, also known as the or flowerpot snake - which makes identifying them difficult. Scientists often need a magnifying glass to tell them apart. The Barbados threadsnake reproduces sexually and females lay a clutch of only one egg, while the Brahminy blind snake can produce fertile eggs without mating - a phenomenon called parthenogenesis. 'I began to look over the snake and it was clear to me that I really needed to take it to a microscope to get a proper look at it,' added Blades. 'The morphological differences between the threadsnake and blind snake are really difficult to tell by eye, particularly because it was the first threadsnake we had seen, so we weren't familiar with the species yet.' Meet the army of snake hunters prowling Brit holiday island for 7ft serpents 'leaving tourists too scared to go in sea' Blades, alongside Justin Springer, Caribbean programme officer for Re:wild, were looking under rocks for any signs of tiny threadsnakes during the survey in March. One rock trapped under a tree root caught their eye. 'I was making a joke and in my head I said, 'I smell a threadsnake,'' said Springer. '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.' To their surprise, they found a tiny threadsnake. 'When you are so accustomed to looking for things and you don't see them, you are shocked when you actually find it,' added Springer. 'You can't believe it. That's how I felt. You don't want to get your hopes up too high.' The snake was then taken to the University of the West Indies and examined under a microscope to confirm its identity before being returned to its forest in central Barbados. It had all the characteristics of a threadsnake - pale orange dorsal lines running from its head to tail, eyes located on the side of its head, a rostral scale on its nose and no gland lines on its head. The CBER project is set to continue surveying the island to better understand the threadsnake's habitat range. This way it can design conservation actions to protect it. The most recently found threadsnake was found in the forest, which only cover a small area of Barbados. Some 98 per cent of the island's primary forest has been cut down for agriculture over the past 500 years. 'It's an important reservoir for biodiversity on the island,' said Blades referring to the forests where the threadsnake was found. 'If the threadsnake population isn't very dense, I'm worried about their ability to find mates—particularly if their habitat is under threat and being degraded.' 2
Fox News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Jessica Simpson finds freedom in Nashville after fleeing Hollywood pressures
Jessica Simpson is finding peace, purpose — and her voice again — far away from the glare of Hollywood. After a 15-year musical hiatus, the singer and actress opened up about how stepping away from the Los Angeles spotlight helped her rediscover herself. Simpson said she needed a place where she could fully be herself, and she found that place in Nashville. "It's hard for me to do that in LA, I think, because I'm 'mom-ing' it, running the brand. But when I get to go away and go within myself, I find that purpose — and have to share it … be vulnerable and just be honest," she said during a recent appearance on "Today." After Simpson, 45, put her music on pause, she became a proud mom of three and focused on her fashion brand. The star shared that it was Nashville's songwriting culture that reignited her creative spirit and motivated her to produce music again. "I went out to Nashville because that was the place [where] the songwriters — they're not competitive," she explained on "Today." "They allow you to be yourself. Nothing you say is judged." Simpson hasn't performed on stage since 2006, when she navigated her first divorce and faced the mounting pressures in the music industry. "I really find that place in Nashville. … It's hard for me to do that in L.A. … But when I get to go away and go within myself, I find that purpose." The "Irresistible" singer reflected on her early pop star years as she shared how her music has evolved. "I took myself out of the competitive process," Simpson said, reflecting on her illustrious music career. "Growing up as a pop star, it was always about the pop girls. I was always put up against other people. Everyone's always going to sell more records than you. So, to me, it wasn't a competition. I just really wanted what I was singing about to be authentically who I am." Now, nearly two decades later, she's writing music again, but on her own terms. Simpson pointed out that creating music again helped her work through emotional turmoil. Earlier this year, Simpson and her ex, Eric Johnson, a former NFL player, made the decision to split after 10 years of marriage. The pair tied the knot in 2014. The "With You" singer opened up about how creating new music has helped heal her heart. "I needed clarity — emotional clarity in general. I thought I was going to be doing this inspirational type of record, and it started leaning towards more, 'How do I get through this moment?' Because my whole life just completely changed while making this record … nothing that I would've expected. But there [are] blessings in the pain. You can find beauty in the pain." For Simpson, it wasn't just about her music. She also shared that, as a mother, she wanted to instill a message of resilience in her children. "I want my daughters and my son to know that," she said. "No matter what we go through in life, nothing can take us down. Nothing. As long as we are who we are, and we know our purpose … we're guided by that." Simpson shares three children with Johnson — daughters Maxwell and Birdie and son Ace. In January, Simpson shared that the couple "have been living separately" but did not reveal any details on the timeline of their split. "Eric and I have been living separately, navigating a painful situation in our marriage," Simpson previously said in a statement to People. "Our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them. We are grateful for all of the love and support that has been coming our way and appreciate privacy right now as we work through this as a family." Now, as a single woman, she's not ruling out finding love and revealed she's open to dating again. "I'm slightly terrified," she confessed to Today. "My type of person is one-of-a-kind. I don't have … a look or anything like that. I just like for somebody to be individually who they are and exude confidence without the ego. "I don't need somebody to be supportive of me all the time," she added. "I feel like the independence I have right now — if I can have that and give it to someone else, that would be cool." But there's one non-negotiable. "Has to be a very good kisser," Simpson said with a smile. As Simpson enters the next chapter in her life, she recently celebrated a major career milestone, the 20th anniversary of the Jessica Simpson Collection, her billion-dollar fashion brand. "I just turned 45 on July 10," she shared. "And my mom at my birthday dinner was like, 'Well, honey, I was 45 when we started the brand.' I said, 'Mom! That makes me feel really old!'" Despite Simpson's mother pointing out her age, the fashion mogul admitted the lesson hit home. "She's right — you can start over again at 45," Simpson said. "There's no age limit to begin again."
The Guardian
24-07-2025
- Science
- 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
- Science
- 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.'
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The Independent
24-07-2025
- Science
- The Independent
World's tiniest snake is rediscovered after being in hiding for 20 years
After nearly two decades the world's tiniest snake has been rediscovered. The Barbados threadsnake was previously featured on a list of 4,800 plant, animal and fungi species described as 'lost to science' – having last been seen in 2006. The tiny reptile is blind, burrows in the ground, eats termites and ants and lays one single, slender egg. Fully grown it only measures up to four inches. Due to the lengthy time without being seen, scientists previously feared the Barbados threadsnake had become extinct. It has only been seen a handful of times since 1889. But those fear were allayed by Connor Blades, a project officer with the Ministry of Environment in Barbados, one morning in March this year, while out searching a tiny forest in the eastern Caribbean island. 'After a year of searching, you begin to get a little pessimistic,' Blades said. The snake is too tiny to identify with the naked eye, and can fit comfortably on a coin. Blades placed the reptile in a small glass jar and added soil, substrate and leaf litter before heading to a lab to double check his find. 'It was a struggle,' Blades said, adding that he shot a video of the snake and finally identified it thanks to a still image. 'I tried to keep a level head.' The Barbados threadsnake – which has pale yellow dorsal lines running through its body, and eyes located on the side of its head – may often be confused for a Brahminy blind snake, also known as the flower pot snake, which is a bit longer and has no dorsal lines. The Re:wild conservation group, which is collaborating with the local environment ministry, announced the rediscovery of the Barbados threadsnake Wednesday. 'Rediscovering one of our endemics on many levels is significant,' said Justin Springer, Caribbean program officer for Re:wild who helped rediscover the snake along with Blades. 'It reminds us that we still have something important left that plays an important role in our ecosystem.' 'They're very cryptic,' Blades added. 'You can do a survey for a number of hours, and even if they are there, you may actually not see them.' The first person to identify the Barbados threadsnake as its own species was S. Blair Hedges, a professor at Temple University and director of its center for biology. In 2008, Hedges' discovery was published in a scientific journal, with the snake named Tetracheilostoma carlae, in honor of his wife. 'I spent days searching for them,' Hedges recalled. 'Based on my observations and the hundreds of rocks, objects that I turned over looking for this thing without success, I do think it is a rare species.' At that time, in June 2006, there were only three other such specimens known at the time: two at a London museum and a third at a museum collection in California that was wrongly identified as being from Antigua instead of Barbados, Hedges said. Hedges said he didn't realize he had collected a new species until he did a genetic analysis. 'The aha moment was in the laboratory,' he said, noting that the discovery established the Barbados threadsnake as the world's smallest-known snake. Scientists hope the rediscovery means that the Barbados threadsnake could become a champion for the protection of wildlife habitat.
