Trans-Pecos Blind Snake

(Leptotyphlops humilis segregus)

Size:Up to 16" but more commonly 6 inches

Range in Texas: Only the arid portions of the western half of the state

Comments: Blind Snakes are a very small snake usually mistaken for earthworms by most.  My assumption that the blind snakes that I have found in Hudspeth county have all been segregus, could be incorrect as the New Mexico Blind Snake (dulcis dissectus) is also found within this range. As you can see in the picture, their head and tail are very hard to tell apart. The remnants of an eye are visible under a somewhat translucent scale on the head. They are a difficult snake to photograph as they never stop wiggling when above ground. According to the texts that I have read, they eat the eggs and larvae of ants and termites. Click on the thumbnails to see a larger version.