Discover The Smallest Type Of Snake Found In America

Key Points:

• The Brahminy blind snake is the smallest snake you can find in America, but it is an invasive species.
• Brahminy blind snakes have small scales with a glossy appearance, and their head and tail are round and blunt. Their size and body shapes make it easy to confuse this small species for a worm.
• Blind snakes are fossorial and burrow in loose soil and leaf litter. It’s possible to find them in flower pots, under rocks, logs, and under other moist debris.

The United States has over 100 species of snakes, and there are around 3,000 species of serpents in total. The size of each snake species varies, but there have been some large snakes like the Burmese python that have become invasive in areas like Florida within America. Snakes come in all sizes, but here you will learn about the smallest type of snake found in America.

Several small reptiles live in the United States. It is common for smaller snakes to be fossorial and spend their lives underground. In the wild, snakes can be elusive, and the smallest type of snake found in America is also one of the most secretive.

What Is The Smallest Snake In America?

The blind snake is the smallest type of snake you can find in America, and around 5 different species inhabit the US.

The Brahminy blind snake is the smallest snake you can find in America, but it is an invasive species. Other blind snakes in America include the New Mexico Blind Snake, Texas blind snake, Western blind snake, and the trans-peco blind snake.

Brahminy blind snakes are one of the smallest snakes in the world and have a length between 4.5 to 6.5 inches (11.2 to 16.5 cm). Black, purple, and dark gray are the colors of this species.

Brahminy blind snakes have small scales with a glossy appearance, and their head and tail are round and blunt. Their size and body shapes make it easy to confuse this small species for a worm, but they are the smallest snakes to be found in America. 

Where Do Brahminy Blind Snakes Live?

While found in America, Brahminy blind snakes are native to Southeast Asia. They prefer to live in moist, damp, and warm tropical environments. 

While an invasive species, this small snake has been found in states like:

• California
• Florida
• Connecticut
• Louisiana
• Massachusetts
• Arizona
• Hawaii
• Texas
• Alabama

Blind snakes are fossorial and burrow in loose soil and leaf litter. They may also be found in places like flower pots, under rocks, logs, and under other moist debris. Flower pot snakes are a name some call this snake since how often they are found in them. Urban regions are common places where this small snake lives, and they also inhabit places like gardens, forests, and meadows. 

What Do Blind Snakes Eat?

Small invertebrates like ants and termites are what blind snakes eat, and they will even live near ant hills to have access to a food source. This snake feeds on eggs and larvae of ants as well. As their name suggests, blind snakes are mostly blind. They find food and navigate the world by using their tongue. They flick their tongues side by side to enhance their smell and find food. 

How Did The Brahminy Blind Snake Become Invasive In America?

Miami, Florida, during the 1970s, is when the Brahminy blind snake was first found in America, as it is a non-native snake. The lifestyle of this species is why it is so invasive, and it can easily travel from place to place by living in plants and soil. 

Blind snakes can also easily become invasive to new areas since females can procreate by parthenogenesis. Brahminy blind snakes do not need a male to mate and can lay eggs once they reach sexual reproduction. When transported to a new area, only one snake is required to establish a population.  

Smallest Types Of Snakes in America

Blind snakes are one of the smallest snakes, but other smaller snakes also inhabit America.

Other small species in the United States are the ring-neck snakes, lined snakes, and garter snakes, which live in habitats like woodland, meadows, urban areas, and forest, usually near a body of water. 

Snakes are usually scared of humans and generally flee if spotted in the wild. The smallest snakes in America are all harmless, and humans are more dangerous to snakes. Learning about the different snake species in the world makes it possible to be safer around the snakes you find. 

Other Small Reptiles In The United States

The little brown skink (Scincell lateralis), also known as the ground skink, is one of the smallest species of lizard in North America. Commonly found in the northeastern United States. This skink is a ground dweller and prefers woodland areas with a lot of coverage, like leaf litter, pine needles, and decaying wood. This little reptile only grows between 3 inches to 5.7 inches long with a tail that is extremely fragile and about the same length as its body. Hatchlings are less than one inch. This lizard consumes a variety of tiny insects, spiders, worms, and millipedes

The Smallest Reptile In The World

The nano-chameleon, also known as Brookesia nana, is the smallest reptile species in the world. Endemic to the montane rainforests of northern Madagascar, this tiny reptile can be as little as 0.86 inches long, or about the size of a seed. This species was discovered in 2021 by herpetologist Frank Glaw and German researchers who found that this mini species violates the pattern of small species that are found on the island which is indicative of another factor causing the chameleon to become miniature. As there are only two of the species found, it was recommended to be listed as critically endangered to help preserve this new species.