Home/Species/ Brahminy Blindsnake

Indotyphlops braminus

(Daudin 1803)

Brahminy Blindsnake

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G5SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

LowThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102194

Element CodeARADG01010

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassReptilia

OrderSquamata

FamilyTyphlopidae

GenusIndotyphlops

Synonyms

Ramphotyphlops braminus(Daudin, 1803)Typhlina bramina(Daudin, 1803)

Concept Reference

Banks, R.C., R.W. McDiarmid, and A.L. Gardner. 1987. Checklist of the Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C. 79 pp.

Taxonomic Comments

Included in genus Typhlops prior to 1966. Placed in genus Typhlina by some authors after 1966; generic name Typhlina has been officially suppressed by the ICZN. Previously classified in the genus Ramphotyphlops but placed in the genus Indotyphlops by Hedges et al. (2014).

Conservation Status

Review Date2006-08-28

Change Date1996-10-31

Edition Date2006-08-28

Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.

Threat ImpactLow

Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences81 to >300

Range Extent Comments

The native range includes the Phillipines and southeastern Asia. This snake has been introduced on all major islands of Hawaii and on other islands of Oceania; first recorded in Hawaii in 1930, imported from Phillipines with potted palm trees planted at Kamehameha School (McKeown 1978). It has been introduced also in Florida (Ashton and Ashton 1991; 1990, Herpetol. Rev. 21:41; Crawford and Somma, 1993, Herpetol. Rev. 24:68; Meshaka, 1994, Herpetol. Rev. 25:34; Watkins-Colwell and Watkins-Colwell, 1995, Herpetol. Rev. 26:210; Townsend et al., 2002, Herpetol. Rev. 33:75; Hennessy and Martin, 2004, Herpetol. Rev. 35:193; Grace and Van Dyke, 2004, Herpetol. Rev. 35:293-294; Krysko et al. 2005), Louisiana (Thomas,1994, Herpetol. Rev. 25:34), Virginia (Savitsky et al. 2002), California, several areas in Mexico (Ashton and Ashton 1991; 1993, Herpetol. Rev. 24:110; Herpetol. Rev. 25:34), Grand Cayman Island (Echternacht and Burton, 2003, Herpetol. Rev. 34:265-266), and in Egypt (Baha El Din 2001). It has been recorded also and apparently is established in Boston, Massachusetts (Wallach et al., 1991, Herpetol. Rev. 22:68; Jones et al., 1995, Herpetol. Rev. 26:210-211).

Occurrences Comments

This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations).

Threat Impact Comments

No major threats are known.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This fossorial snake inhabits loose damp soil of shaded gardens, valleys, sandy plateaus, rocky slopes, and various other habitats, usually at low elevations. It can be found under potted plants, plastic liners, rocks, debris, or fallen trees, or in decaying logs or stumps. Eggs are laid in moist soil and probably also humus and rotted wood.

Ecology

Sometimes gregarious; multiple individuals under one object (Cagle 1946).

Reproduction

All-female, parthenogenetic. Individual collected on Tinian (Marianas) on April 19 laid eggs on April 21; hatched on 29 May (Cagle 1946). Reproduction may be continuous in Seychelles (Nussbaum 1980). In Japan, egg laying occurred from mid-June to mid-July; mean clutch size was 3; some individuals of reproductive size did not lay eggs (Kamosawa and Ota 1996, J. Herpetol. 30:9-14).

Terrestrial Habitats

Suburban/orchard

Palustrine Habitats

Riparian

Other Nations (1)

United StatesNNA

Province	Rank	Native
Virginia	SNA	No
Hawaii	SNA	No
Arizona	SNA	No
Massachusetts	SNA	No
Louisiana	SNA	No
Florida	SNA	No

Roadless Areas (1)

California (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
San Dimas	Angeles National Forest	7,160

References (11)

Ashton, R. E., Jr., and P. S. Ashton. 1991. Handbook of reptiles and amphibians of Florida. Part two. Lizards, turtles & crocodilians. Revised second edition. Windward Pub., Inc., Miami. 191 pp.
Baha El Din, S. M. 2001. On the first report of Rhamphotyphlops braminus from Egypt: how many times can a flower-pot snake be run over for the first time? Herpetological Review 32:11.
Banks, R.C., R.W. McDiarmid, and A.L. Gardner. 1987. Checklist of the Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C. 79 pp.
Cagle, F. R. 1946. <i>Typhlops braminus</i> in the Marianas Islands. Copeia 1946:101.
Conant, R., and J. T. Collins. 1998. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition, expanded. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 616 pp.
Hedges, S. B., A. B. Marion, K. M. Lipp, J. Marin, and N. Vidal. 2014. A taxonomic framework for typhlopid snakes from the Caribbean and other regions (Reptilia, Squamata). Caribbean Herpetology 49:1–61.
Krysko, K. L., K. M. Enge, J. H. Townsend, E. M. Langan, S. A. Johnson, and T. S. Campbell. 2005. New county records of amphibians and reptiles from Florida. Herpetological Review 36:85-87.
McKeown, S. 1978. Hawaiian reptiles and amphibians. Oriental Pub. Co., Honolulu. 80 pp.
Nussbaum, R. A. 1980. The brahminy blind snake (<i>Ramphotyphlops braminus</i>) in the Seychelles Archipelago: distribution, variation, and further evidence for parthenogenesis. Herpetologica 36:215-221.
Oliver, J. A., and C. E. Shaw. 1953. The amphibians and reptiles of the Hawaiian Islands. Zoologica 38:65-95.
Savitsky, B. A., A. H. Savitsky, R. T. Belcher, and S. Ewers. 2002. Geographic distribution: Ramphotyphlops braminus. Herpetological Review 33:150-151.