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| Ramphotyphlpos braminus (Brahminy Blind Snake) |
Ramphotyphlops braminus
| Scientific Name : |
Ramphotyhlops braminus |
| English Name : |
Brahminy Blind Snake |
| Local Name : |
Thread snake or Dhaga Snake |
Distinguishing Features
i. They are the smallest, non-poisonous snakes.
ii. They show great variation in colour, depending on their habitat, for instance the specimen collected from Lahore is dark purplish brown while the specie found in Sindh is lighter in colour or is reddish brown.
iii. The dorsal surface is chestnut brown or reddish brown and ventral surface is pale in colour.
iv. The body is thin, round and thread like.
v. The Rostral is large.
vi. The snout is round and cream in colour.
vii. The chin is cream in colour.
viii. The eyes are tiny and can only be seen with the help of a magnifying glass. They have very poor vision.
ix. The scales on the upper labial are usually four in number. The last two scales touch the eye.
x. The lower labial is very thin. Lower edge of the ocular shield wedge between the 3 rd and 4 th scales of the upper labial. Size
Its length varies from 132 - 160 mm.
Habit and Habitat
They are commonly found in loose sandy cum muddy desert, gardens and flood plain forest. They are burrower by nature and therefore are usually located under rocks and logs of rotten trees. This specie is a burrower The lower wedged shape ocular shield helps them in burrowing. During rainy season, they enter the gutters and on touching run away in the form of the letter S.
Food
They normally live on small ants and their eggs, young spiders and other small and tiny insects.
Breeding
| Mating Season: |
October - November / March - April |
| Egg - Laying Season: |
December or early January - early May |
| Number of Eggs laid: |
1 - 4 eggs |
| Hatching Period: |
March - April also June - July |
Economic Importance
Because of their small size, they have no or very little commercial value. They have great ecological importance as they act as a potential food for owls, hedgehogs and small snakes especially juveniles or newly born snakes and birds.
Status
Common | 
