| Blackish blind snake | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Typhlopidae |
| Genus: | Anilios |
| Species: | A. nigrescens |
| Binomial name | |
| Anilios nigrescens (Gray, 1845) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The blackish blind snake (Anilios nigrescens) is a species of snake in the Typhlopidae family native to south-eastern Australia. [2] [3] [4]
It is a small burrowing snake with small dark eyes, a forked tongue and smooth scale around its body which permits them to travel through soil. They can grow to a size of 23 inches, with the largest recorded at 32 inches. Colour is brown/purplish on top, with a light shade of pink on the belly. The tail features a pointed tip which is a harmless spur. They can be mistaken for earthworms. Blind snakes move in a side-to-side motion on the ground, but underground they slither with tunnels made by insects. [5]
The species lives most of its life underground feeding on ants, termites and their larvae. To find their food they flick their tongue to pick up the scent of an ant or termite trail and follow it back to the nest, [6] where they rake the ants into their mouth using their upper jaw and swallow the food whole. [5]
The small-headed blind snake is a species of snake in the Typhlopidae family.
Anilios australis, or the southern blind snake, is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
The Batillus blind snake is a species of snake in the Typhlopidae family.
The prong-snouted blind snake is a species of non-venomous worm-like burrowing snakes belonging to the Typhlopidae family. It is endemic to central southern, continental Australia.
Anilios broomi, also known commonly as Broom's blind snake, the faint-striped blind snake, and the striate blind snake, is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
The Cape York striped blind snake is a species of snake in the Typhlopidae family. It is endemic to northern Queensland, Australia.
Anilios diversus, or the northern blind snake, is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
Anilios endoterus is commonly known as the interior blind snake. It is one of 42 species of snake in the genus Anilios (Ramphotyphlops) from the Typhlopidae family living in Australia. These snakes appear to be blind, having vestigial eyes that are extremely sensitive to light. It is a cryptic burrowing snake that lives in tunnels underground, living mainly on a diet of ants. They are found in arid and semi-arid desert regions of central Australia and are considered endangered in New South Wales (NSW).
The long-beaked blind snake is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae, first described in 1918 by Edgar Waite as Typhlops grypus, and endemic to northern Australia.
The Kimberley deep-soil blind snake is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
The white-tailed blind snake is a species of snake in the Typhlopidae family.
The buff-snouted blind snake is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
The small-eyed blind snake is a species of snake in the Typhlopidae family.
The Groote dwarf blind snake is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. It is endemic to the Northern Territory, Australia.
The Proximus blind snake or the woodland blind snake is a species of snake in the Typhlopidae family that is native to eastern Australia.
Anilios silvia, also known commonly as the great sandy blind snake or Sylvia's blind snake, is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to northeastern Australia.
The Darwin blind snake is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
The claw-snouted blind snake is a species of snake in the Typhlopidae family.
The beaked blind snake, also known commonly as Waite's blind snake, is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae.
The brown-snouted blind snake, also known commonly as Wied's blind snake, is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
