Posted by Jennifer Cable on June 28, 2007

Q: Although I live in Hawaii (no "official" snakes), I found a small snake at my parents in the Florida Keys. I found it under a pot in a sandy area near the ocean. It could certainly be mistaken for a worm, as it is only about 2.5 inches long. It moves like a snake, however, and when you look VERY carefully, you can see that it has a forked tongue that it sticks out periodically. Its coloration is just like an adult black racer, which is commonly found around here, but the pictures I have seen of juvenile black racers show that they have stripes. Could this really be a snake, or have a found some weird worm with a forked tongue? You cannot really see any eyes, as it is all black.

Thanks for your help, and thanks for having a great site like this one. I just found it, and I will be using it quite a bit when I return to Hawaii.

Jennifer

Habitat: ocean

State: Florida

Habitat: ocean

A: You've obviously examined this animal closely and your description is very helpful. You've found an unusual, introduced snake called the Brahminy Blind Snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus). This is definitely a snake (it's not segmented like a worm and has scales typical of reptiles) but often mistaken for some kind of worm, as you noted. These snakes are believed to have been introduced into the U.S. from Asia via potted plants and are found in several areas of Florida and even Hawaii. Check out this site to find out more about this interesting animal at: www.flmnh.ufl.edu

Thanks for asking.

John Wiessinger ( June 29, 2007)