Which snake is the world’s smallest known snake, discovered on the Caribbean island of Barbados?

The Barbados threadsnake is the world’s smallest known snake.

Leptotyphlops carlae, commonly called the Barbados threadsnake, was described as a new species in 2008. It was discovered in the island nation of Barbados, where habitat loss has made its restricted environment a conservation concern.

Adults are extremely slender and typically measure around 10 centimetres long. Like other threadsnakes, the species spends much of its time underground or beneath leaf litter and feeds mainly on tiny insect larvae and other small soil-dwelling prey.

The Barbados threadsnake is sometimes confused with the Brahminy blind snake, another very small burrowing snake that has spread widely through transported plant soil. They are different species in different genera, and the Barbados threadsnake is notable for its exceptionally short adult length.