And Yet Indiana Jones Still Hates Them

[Spookie Monster]

Apparently a biologist has discovered a species of snake smaller than any previously known.



Yeah, that's pretty small, I guess.

Learn more here:

World's smallest snake discovered

The world's smallest snake, averaging just 10cm (4 inches) and as thin as a spaghetti noodle, has been discovered on the Caribbean island of Barbados.

Spel


I debated about whether I should post this here or in Elliquiy U.  Given that some of the major news outlets have picked up the story, I decided to post it here.  Goddesses, please feel free to move it if appropriate.

[Paradox]

If I would have seen it, I probably would have passed it off as an earthworm of some sort. I wonder how many people have accidentally used them as bait to fish with.

[Mathim]

Do they still have fangs to bite with? I mean, I've seen earthworms bigger than that so I'm curious if they're still carnivorous.

[Trieste]

Do they still have fangs to bite with? I mean, I've seen earthworms bigger than that so I'm curious if they're still carnivorous.

Article sez...

Dr Hedges thinks that the snake eats termites and is endemic to this one Caribbean island.

Also, look at the gorgeous coppery colouring in the second picture. That is totally awesome! The snake looks like it has tiny racing stripes. :D

Racing stripes made me wonder what the average landspeed of this critter is, so I ended up looking more up about it.

Leptotyphlopidae (threadsnakes)
Threadsnakes as a genus tend to be blind, and this one apparently is as well. This means it has no visual input for hunting or detection of predators - vision is generally useless to the genus, as most of them live underground, burrowing and whatnot.

Generally they hunt small insects (termites and ants are the most common example I found), eating them in a manner a whoooole lot like spiders are famous for - suck out the tasty innards and discard the crispy shell. So the local ant nest that you might not even want to walk past is one of their favourite smorgasbords, and also a potential place to hang the Home Sweet Home sampler.

l. carlae
Couldn't find a whole lot on the snake itself, though... mostly I found a quote from this article that seemed pertinent: "The Barbadian snake apparently eats termites and insect larvae, but nothing is yet known of its ecology and behavior. Genetic tests identified the snake as a new species, Hedges said. It is not venomous." So ... it might have fangs, but they're not the better to paralyze you with, my dear.

I think I'm going to keep up on this guy, because I do wonder how it hunts (one would think that if it slithered into a termite nest, the soldier 'mites might have something to say about that very, very quickly) and... I never did find out about that average landspeed. Rats.

-- I was a very bad girl and didn't keep track of most of where I read this stuff so I could cite or link it... but it was a whole lot of googling and following sources from Wikipedia anyway, so it's not like it was groundbreaking.

[Spookie Monster]

Racing stripes made me wonder what the average landspeed of this critter is...

Heh!  That's a good question, actually.  I must ask with absolute sincerity: Have you considered writing to the guy who classified it?  If you're not interested in doing so, I might be willing...

I do wonder how it hunts (one would think that if it slithered into a termite nest, the soldier 'mites might have something to say about that very, very quickly)...

Indeed!

If I would have seen it, I probably would have passed it off as an earthworm of some sort.

I've seen earthworms bigger than that...

Let's not forget that earthworms themselves can get pretty big...

As a note, I think that it's rather sweet that the guy who classified the snake named it in honor of his wife.

Spel

[kongming]

It's so cute!

[ShrowdedPoet]

I want some as pets!!!!!

[RubySlippers]

I can see it in INdiana Jones 4 he is vacationing in Barbados and fishing, picks up the earthworm and somebody says,"That is no worm mon its a snake."

Then he freaks out and tosses it. lol

[Paradox]

Indiana Jones 5, you mean?  ;)

[RubySlippers]

Oh yes five. I hope that is better than 4 though what is it with Speilburg and aliens all the time? I did like the snake scene though...

[Paradox]

Haha yes, that part was great. It is a clear illustration of just how deathly afraid of snakes he truly is.

[Spookie Monster]

As a note, I think that it's rather sweet that the guy who classified the snake named it in honor of his wife.

Looks like I'm never going to be able to show my face in Barbados:

Barbadians slam discovery, naming of tiny snake

I want some as pets!!!!!

I was actually curious about that.  They don't seem to be particularly dangerous -- I mean, they probably have Salmonella, but that's not uncommon with reptiles -- and they're small and survive by eating common pest insects.  If they're seriously threatened, what would be the harm in allowing them to be bred by professionals and sold as pets?  (If they can be bred in captivity, that is.)

Spel

[Paradox]

"How dare this man come in here and name a snake after his wife?"

There's a new one.

[ShrowdedPoet]

Looks like I'm never going to be able to show my face in Barbados:

Barbadians slam discovery, naming of tiny snake

I was actually curious about that.  They don't seem to be particularly dangerous -- I mean, they probably have Salmonella, but that's not uncommon with reptiles -- and they're small and survive by eating common pest insects.  If they're seriously threatened, what would be the harm in allowing them to be bred by professionals and sold as pets?  (If they can be bred in captivity, that is.)

Spel

*gets angry at the people from far away country*

*laughs*  As a child reptile pets is mostly what we had!  Fish, frogs, turtles, lizards (big and small Iguanas and the blue tailed ones). . .I think the only replite we didn't own was snakes.  And after I moved away I got a bearded dragon and named him Spike.  Too bad we couldn't afford to keep feeding the little cricket slirper and had to give him to a pet shop.

[HairyHeretic]

Indiana Jones 5, you mean?  ;)

Yeah, I heard Lucas is trying to find a plot for 5

Let it go, man.

It's over.

[Spookie Monster]

"How dare this man come in here and name a snake after his wife?"

There's a new one.

Heh!  Indeed. ;D

Yeah, I heard Lucas is trying to find a plot for 5

Maybe Indiana Jones could be searching for an artifact in some temple in Barbados where, legend has it, one can become as powerful as the gods but then it turns out that some god is still IN there and then the god laughs and says to Indiana Jones, "So, you wanted to be a BIG MAN?" and then he SHRINKS Indiana Jones like that guy got shrunk in The Incredible Shrinking Man and then Indiana Jones gets chased by some thread snakes but to HIM the snakes are AS BIG AS ANACONDAS and then he says, "Snakes... why'd it have to be snakes... AGAIN?" and then at the end of the movie Indiana Jones is CORNERED by the snakes but then the camera pans up and SHORT ROUND IS THERE and Short Round picks up all of the snakes and puts them into a terrarium and then he says to Indiana Jones, "SO, WHO'S SHORT NOW, DR. JONES?" and then they laugh and the music swells and then Indiana Jones gets big again!  PURE GOLD.  It could be called Indiana Jones and The Time That He Got Shrunk and It Was Pure Gold.

(By the way, everybody, thanks for the replies! :) )

Spel