Color Photographs: Chris Brown, U.S. Geological Survey

Western Blind Snake (Leptotyphlops humilis)

Identification: Length 7 to 16 inches. Blind snakes are characterized by; 1) the absence of enlarged, rectangular scales on the underside of the body, 2) the lack of eye-sight, with the eye covered with a scale and the eye appearing as a black dot, 3), 14 rows of scales wraping around the body, and 4) and the dentition reduced to a few small teeth all set in the lower jaw. The Western Blind Snake is almost earthworm like with a smooth, shiny, cylindrical body. The color is purple-brown to shiny pink. Head and tail blunt, but tail with a small spine at its tip. This species has only 1 scale situated between the scales covering the eye on either side of the head.

Geographical Variation:

Southwestern Blind Snake (Leptotyphlops h. humilis): Tail scales in circles of 12; dark colored scales on back and sides in 7 to 9 rows. Range: Southern California, southern Nevada, and eastward into south-central Arizona.

Desert Blind Snake (L. h. cahuiliae): Tail scales in circles of 12; dark colored scales on back and sides in 5 rows. Range: Southwestern Arizona and southeastern California.

Trans-Pecos Blind Snake (L. h. segregus): Tail scales in circles of 10; dark colored scales on back and sides in 7 rows. Range: Southeastern Arizona, eastward through eastern New Mexico and western Texas.

Utah Blind Snake (L. h. utahensis): Tail scales in circles of 12; dark color scales on back and sides in 7 rows. Range: Southeastern Nevada into the southwestern corner of Utah.

Range (see map on left): This species lives in the extreme southeastern United States from southern California eastward to southern Nevada, southern Arizona, to western and south-central Texas. The range also extends southward into Mexico.

Habitat: The Western Blind Snake occurs in a variety of xeric habitats from desert to shrubby mountain slopes wherever loose soil is present. It is often found on rocky hillsides and canyon beds and washes of permanent or temporary streams.

Food: Small insects, particularly ants, centipedes, spiders, and millipedes.

Behavior: The Western Blind Snake is a burrower and spends most of its time in the soil burrowing among the roots of shrubs. It can sometimes be found on the surface at night.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of 2 to 6 egss laid in July and August.

Western Blind Snake (Leptotyphlops humilis)

Similar Species:

Texas Blind Snake (Leptotyphlops dulcis)

Similar Species