| Two-lined blind snake | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
 Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Leptotyphlopidae |
| Genus: | Tetracheilostoma |
| Species: | T. bilineatum |
| Binomial name | |
| Tetracheilostoma bilineatum (Schlegel, 1839) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The two-lined blind snake (Tetracheilostoma bilineatum) is a harmless blind snake species endemic to Martinique in the Lesser Antilles.
Distribution
Though previously recorded on St. Lucia and Barbados, specimens identified to those islands were described in 2008 as separate species, L. breuili and L. carlae. A specimen identified as from Guadeloupe was reported by Duméril and Bibron (1844:331), but none are known from that island. The type locality given is "Vaterland Martinique."
Description
It is dark brown with two yellow stripes along its sides. It was once known as the world's smallest snake, being small enough to slither through a pencil if the lead were removed. Its typical length is 11 cm (4.5 in). However, the newly described L. carlae (Hedges, 2008) is reported to be even smaller.
References
- Dewynter, M. (2017) . "Tetracheilostoma bilineatum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T203635A115351235. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T203635A2769284.en. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
- ^ McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
- Reptiles: Snake at San Diego Zoo. Accessed 3 June 2008.
- Hedges, S. Blair (2008), "At the lower size limit in snakes: two new species of threadsnakes (Squamata: Leptotyphlopidae: Leptotyphlops) from the Lesser Antilles" (PDF), Zootaxa, 1841: 1–30, doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1841.1.1, retrieved March 5, 2010
External links
- Leptotyphlops bilineatus at the Reptile database
- Leptotyphlops bilineatus at the Encyclopedia of Life
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Tetracheilostoma bilineatum | |