Texas blind snake
The Texas thread snake (Leptotyphlops dulcis) is a small, burrowing snake native to the dry desert regions of Texas. Typically about one foot long, they are characterized by their pinkish skin and lack of eyelids, which are replaced by transparent brilles that protect their eyes. These snakes primarily eat insects, including ants, termites, and insect larvae, swallowing their prey whole. Texas thread snakes are known for their unique maternal behavior; females coil around their eggs to guard them from predators, laying between one and four eggs at a time. They spend much of their lives underground, creating extensive burrow systems while using their forked tongues to gather chemical information about their environment. Although they face threats from birds, larger snakes, and land mammals, the life expectancy of Texas thread snakes is around 12 years. Their fascinating behaviors and adaptations make them a unique species within the diverse ecosystem of Texas.
Subject Terms
Texas thread snake
Texas thread snakes are known for the concern they have for their young. Unlike many other snakes, Texas thread snakes coil around their eggs to protect them.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Leptotyphlopidae
Genus: Leptotyphlops
Species: Dulcis
Texas thread snakes live in the dry, desert areas of Texas. They have pinkish skin and grow to be about one foot (30 centimeters) long. Like other snakes, Texas thread snakes have brilles, instead of eyelids. Brilles are transparent, or clear, coverings which rest over their eyes like window panes.
Texas thread snakes spend much of their time burrowing through the dirt, making large underground tunnel systems called burrows. As they slither through the dirt, Texas thread snakes stick out their forked tongues to search their surroundings. Their tongues pick up chemical signals which are then taken back into their mouths and put in special organs specifically designed to measure each of the chemicals present in the environment. This information helps Texas thread snakes to trail prey, recognize predators, and find mates.
Texas thread snakes are insectivores, or insect-eating animals. Their diet includes a variety of ants, termites, and insect larvae, or young. Like other snakes, Texas thread snakes swallow their prey whole. Texas thread snakes are threatened by birds, larger snakes, and land mammals such as skunks and racoons.
It is not known when Texas thread snakes mate, but sometime after that, the females lay between one and four long eggs. The females then coil themselves around their eggs to protect them from predators. The time between the laying and the hatching of the eggs is known as the incubation period. It is not known how long Texas thread snakes incubate.
The life span of Texas thread snakes is about 12 years.