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Scientists Confirm Rediscovery of World’s Smallest Snake in Barbados

Following microscopic analysis paired with genetic testing, researchers are preparing expanded field surveys to chart the snake’s range, with results set to inform forest habitat protection.

The Barbados threadsnake, missing for nearly 20 years, was rediscovered in March 2025.
The Barbados threadsnake is just three to four inches long and about the same width as a strand of spaghetti. Pictured here in 2006, the species was officially described in 2008.
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Overview

  • Rediscovered in March after nearly 20 years without a confirmed sighting, the Barbados threadsnake measures just 9–10 cm in adult length, making it the world’s smallest-known snake.
  • Microscopic examination at the University of the West Indies verified its pale orange dorsal stripes and head scale patterns, while genetic testing confirmed its species identity.
  • Found hiding under a rock during a March 20 survey by the Ministry of the Environment and Re:wild, the blind, burrowing snake was examined and released back into its forest habitat; it feeds on termites and ants and lays only one egg per clutch.
  • Classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, the species faces acute threats from Barbados’s 98 percent loss of primary forest and competition with invasive Brahminy blind snakes.
  • Conservationists are urging stronger legal safeguards for Barbados’s remaining forest reserves following the threadsnake’s return to science.