Blackish Blind Snake

A Blackish Blind Snake on rocky soil

Scientific Name: Anilios nigrescens

Size: 550mm

What does it look like?

The Blackish Blind Snake is moderately stout and worm-like, with glossy scales that are generally uniform in size around body and small, dark eye-spots. Body thickness generally uniform along length and tail bluntly rounded, with horn-like scale at extremity. Pinkish-brown to purplish-black above, and white or pinkish below.

Where is it found?

South-eastern Australian mainland, from south-eastern Qld, through eastern NSW, to central and south-western Vic.

What are its habitats & habits?

Fossorial in soft, loamy soils, but can be seen on the surface following rain or on humid nights. Nocturnal, often sheltering during the day in underground burrows, under rocks or logs, or in rotting logs above the ground, sometimes communally with members of the same species. The Blackish Blind Snake feeds entirely on invertebrates, mostly on eggs and young of ants and termites. Oviparous, producing up to 34 soft-shelled eggs in a clutch. Non-venomous, with small jaws that are incapable of biting humans, but secretes a strong smell when disturbed.

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A Naturalist's Guide to the Reptiles of Australia (2nd Edition) cover

This species features in my book A Naturalist’s Guide to the Reptiles of Australia

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