The world's smallest snake has been found in Barbados

The world's smallest snake, the Barbados thread snake (Tetracheilostoma carlae), has been rediscovered on the island of Barbados nearly two decades after it disappeared, AFP reports.

The unique creature - so tiny it could easily be mistaken for an earthworm - was found under a rock in the central part of the island during an environmental expedition in March. The search involved experts from the Barbados Ministry of the Environment in conjunction with the conservation organisation Re:wild.

According to Connor Blades, an official with the Ministry of Environment, Barbados' thread snakes are completely blind, secretive and extremely rare creatures.

"Confirmed sightings of this species since 1889 are few and very few people have seen this snake at all," he noted.

The snake is distinguished by orange stripes along its back, small eyes on the sides of its head and scales on the tip of its snout. The adult is only 8 to 10 centimetres long and would practically fit on a 25 US cent coin.

"When you've been looking for this species for years and keep failing to find it, the find seems like something incredible," shared Justin Springer of Re:wild, who discovered the snake with Blades. "I can't believe I've finally seen it - I don't want to get prematurely excited."

The search took more than a year, with researchers turning over rocks near tree roots until they found the tiny snake next to an earthworm. The discovered specimen was sent to the University of the West Indies for precise identification under a microscope, because the appearance of this rare species is very similar to the Brahmin blind snake - invasive "twin". After confirmation, the find was returned back to the forest.

The Barbados thread snake is particularly vulnerable: only 2 per cent of the primary forest remains on the island, and the rest of the territory has long been converted into farmland. In addition, this species reproduces only sexually and the female lays only one egg at a time - unlike the Brahmin blind snake, which can reproduce without a male.

"The return of the thread snake is a signal to all Barbadians that the remnants of the island's forests require special protection," Springer believes. "And not just for the snake itself, but for other species - animals, plants and for our heritage."