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04-24-2006, 12:18 PM
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Heretic Prime
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: On the Border, by the Sea in beautiful Brownsville, Texas!
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Weird little squirmers.....
Ok.. these 4" to 5" reptiles were photographed near my home in S. Texas.. Who knows exactly what they are?
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.. if you think you know what they are, do you know what it is about them that is so special?
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Have fun.
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Gus. |
04-24-2006, 12:34 PM
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(Insert Catchy Phrase)
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Can I get a hint?? LOL
Ok, I will probably get made fun of, but Im going to guess Texas Blind Snakes? Leptotyphlops dulcis?
Last edited by amercnwmn : 04-24-2006 at 12:40 PM.
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04-24-2006, 12:42 PM
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I was turned into a Newt...... but I got better.
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They look like Brahminy Blind Snakes. But I thought that they were primarily just feral in Florida. So interesting facts about it would be that it is an introduced species or that it reproduces by parthenogenesis. Which of course, makes it easier for it establish itself anywhere it is introduced.
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04-24-2006, 12:51 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
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04-24-2006, 01:09 PM
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Heretic Prime
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: On the Border, by the Sea in beautiful Brownsville, Texas!
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There's always some know-it-all lurking around (or maybe just computer-savy, read the file-name on the pic, do a web-search).. knowing BW it's likely he is a 'know-it-all'..
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Yes, those are Ramphotyphlops, a type of blind-snake. They are all female and reproduce parthenogenically, as was noted. They supposedly also have the distinction of being the widest ranging terrestrial vertebrate in the world (aside from people and the more mundane animals we bring around with us).. Since it only takes 1 to start a new population just a single individual on a log or in a drifting root-mass does the trick..
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They are commonly referred to as 'flower-pot snakes'.. since they like that habitiat.. which is why after finding a way into Florida and their big nursery industry they have been spread to practically everywhere in the US without permafrost.. and maybe in some of those places too! They eat ant-larvae and eggs, mostly. I've encountered them near enough to fire-ant mounds to suggest they prey on them.. they're hardly the answer to that problem, though.
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Gus.
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04-24-2006, 01:13 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
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Well thats cool, at least I said it was a blind snake LOL Ive had some blonde moments.. 
So they are NOT a native species to Texas, and just now popping up, or have they been seen around, just more often lately?
I think its interesting they are parthogenic.
I love these guessing games btw! Been able to learn a lot
Last edited by amercnwmn : 04-24-2006 at 01:14 PM.
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04-24-2006, 01:21 PM
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I was turned into a Newt...... but I got better.
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Join Date: Jan 1970
Location: Georgia
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Thanked 613 Times in 364 Posts
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Did a little quick reading on it. There are a couple reports of them being both live bearing AND egg laying. Never heard of that before.
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04-24-2006, 01:22 PM
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(Insert Catchy Phrase)
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 6,920
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Thanked 422 Times in 327 Posts
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Bank: 2,353,499.45
Total Points: 2,360,501.28
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