Barbados threadsnake

The Barbados threadsnake (Tetracheilostoma carlae) is a tiny snake that lives only on the island of Barbados. It is one of the smallest snakes in the world, smaller than many people's hands. Because of its small size, it is very interesting to scientists who study nature.

This snake is harmless to humans and helps keep the island clean by eating small pests like springtails. Its tiny size makes it a special and unique creature in the world of wildlife. The Barbados threadsnake shows how animals can adapt to live in very small spaces and still play an important role in their environment.

Taxonomy and etymology

The Barbados threadsnake was first identified as a separate species in 2008 by S. Blair Hedges, a herpetologist from Pennsylvania State University. He named the snake in honor of his wife, Carla Ann Hass, who was also part of the discovery team. Even before this, some specimens were already stored in museums, but they had been mistaken for another kind of snake.

When it was first described in 2008, the Barbados threadsnake was recognized as one of the smallest snake species in the world. Researchers found the first examples under rocks in a forest, showing how tiny this snake can be.

Description

The Barbados threadsnake (Tetracheilostoma carlae) is one of the smallest snakes in the world. Adults average about 10 cm (almost 4 inches) in length, including their tail, with the largest one found measuring just a bit longer at 10.4 cm. It is very thin, about as wide as a spaghetti noodle. This snake can be told apart from another similar snake, Indotyphlops braminus, by its special back lines and smaller size.

Diet

The Barbados threadsnake primarily eats termites and ant larvae. These tiny snakes rely on these small insects as their main food source.

Reproduction

Threadsnakes are oviparous, which means they lay eggs to reproduce. The Barbados threadsnake female lays only one large egg at a time. When the baby snake hatches, it is about half the length of its mother.

Small snakes like the Barbados threadsnake have relatively large newborns compared to bigger snakes. While the babies of the largest snakes are only one-tenth the length of their mothers, the babies of the smallest snakes are usually about half the length of their mothers.

Conservation status

Little is known about the Barbados threadsnake, T. carlae, because it is very small and hard to find in the wild. Barbados no longer has its original forests, which the snake likely needs to survive. Because only a few specimens have ever been found, people worry about the snake’s future.

The snake was thought to be lost until March 20, 2025, when it was rediscovered after almost twenty years without any sightings. A worker from the Barbados Ministry of Environment found it under a rock and confirmed it with a microscope. The rediscovery was announced on July 23, 2025.