Brahminy Blind Snake - non venomous, burrowing snake native to southeast asia. Brahminy Blind snakes are parthenogetic - can spawn young without males.
These snakes resemble black worms in Thailand. They have a lot of energy when you pick one up. You will likely find them in soil in your potted plants or climbing up through your drain in your restroom.
Brahminy Blind Snakes are completely harmless.
Ramphotyphlops braminus (Brahminy Blind Snake)
Thai: (ngoo din ban)
Length: Up to about 6 inches (15cm)
Range: All over Thailand and much of the world, native to Southeast Asia. Transported across the world in potted plants.
Notes:These are ground dwelling and burrowing snakes. They are shy. They are easily eaten by many other predators like birds and other snakes. The Red Tailed Pipe snake eats these snakes often. The blind snakes have very small eyes covered with a thin skin that protects them as they burrow through the dirt.
Active Time? Anytime.
Food: Ant and termite eggs primarily.
Defensive Behavior: Trying to get away. The mouth is too small to inflict a bite on humans.
Venom Toxicity: No venom or means to inject it.
Offspring: An interesting twist here. Brahminy Blind snakes are all born female and need no males to continue the species. They are parthenogenetic. When they reach sexual maturity they lay fertile eggs – and hence, are fully self-perpetuating the species. If there is one – soon there will be more! These snakes have populated much of the western world and can be found in Hawaii, Louisianna, Boston, and other places in the USA now.
My Brahminy Blind Snake Videos:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Typhlopidae
Genus: Ramphotyphlops
Species: R. braminus
Binomial classification:
Ramphotyphlops braminus
About Vern Lovic
All posts by Vern Lovic. Amateur herpetologist roaming about Thailand on field herping trips to find cobras, kraits, coral snakes, and other snakes native to Thailand. Thailand has over 200 snake species with many of them venomous.
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found one in my room and in our restroom!!I thought it was a worm so I killed the one in my room, the other I threw it outside. Thanks for the info, now I know they’re harmless…but gotta be careful!!! so the next time I see one..I’ll put it back to it’s habitat.
just wondering,can this snake climb?like for example up to my bed because I freaked out when I found it in my room..hope to get some reply.thanks
It can climb a little bit, only as high as it’s body. These snakes are dirt dwellers. They’re looking for dirt – not your bed! Unless your bed is reeeeeally dirty I don’t think you need to worry. They stay on the ground.
While in Karon recently I found a small snake? millipede? that had a spade shaped head. could this have been a species of blind snake?
Hi Jason, I have also found those things – they are more like worms – right? The spade shaped head is unmistakable. Very small – yes? VERY think – like the lead in a pencil – right? These are worms I guess – not snakes, quite odd things they are too! Thanks for writing. I have some photos of those things somewhere – might have to dig ‘em out.
I saw a small snake in my home and I killed it, and after a few days again I saw the same kind of small snake near my baby. I was scared, I took my baby away and I killed that small snake again. I hope it will not bite right?