Kenneth L. Krysko photos.
Scientific name: Ramphotyphlops braminus
Description: Average adult size is 2.5-6.5 inches (6.35-16.5 cm). Adults are small, thin, and shiny silver gray, charcoal gray, or purple. The head and tail-tip are indistinct, the neck is not narrow and the eyes are only small dot-like remnants under the scales. The tail is tipped with a tiny pointed spur. The head scales are small and similar to body scales. The belly is grayish to brown. The scales are smooth and shiny, there are 14 dorsal scale rows along the entire body. Juvenile coloration is similar to that of adults.
 Kenneth L. Krysko photo. |
Close-up of the head of the Brahminy blind snake. |
Brahminy blind snake: Left to right: Top of the head;
side of the head. The eyes are hidden under the scales.
Brahminy blind snake: Tail, showing tiny spur on tip.
Range: This is an exotic species from southeast Asia that has been introduced into Florida. It is found from the Florida keys and southeastern peninsula north to Lake Okeechobee, and in isolated populations near Fort Myers and in Pinellas County and in Gainesville. Outside of Florida, it has been widely introduced in many tropical localities.
Habitat: Commonly found in urban and agricultural areas.
Comments: 
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The Brahminy blind snake burrows in the soil and leaflitter, and is found
under rotting logs, leaves, and trash. Most often it is seen in flower
beds while gardening, or on sidewalks after rain. It is believed that
it was introduced into Florida in the soil of imported plants. Being moved
around this way in some parts of the world has earned it the name 'flower
pot snake'.
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The Brahminy blind snake often turns up in leaflitter or garden mulch. |
It feeds on the eggs, larvae, and pupae of ants and termites.
It lays eggs or may be live-bearing. All individuals are female and reproduce unisexually, where the eggs begin cell division without sperm from a male. Up to 8 genetically identical female offspring are produced.
Comparison with other species: None, though it is frequently mistaken for earthworms. Both are shiny, but if you look carefully you will see that earthworms are segmented (they have rings around the body) and the Brahminy blind snake is not segmented. Neither can the Brahminy blind snake stretch itself out or contract like an earthworm.
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