The most widely distributed land snake on Earth, a tiny blind burrower spread by potted plants and parthenogenetic reproduction.
Description
The flowerpot snake is a tiny, shiny, dark brown to charcoal grey snake rarely exceeding 17 cm and only as thick as a matchstick. The eyes are reduced to dark dots under translucent head scales, and the body is uniform with no distinct neck.
Behavior
A subterranean burrower, the flowerpot snake hunts ant and termite brood in soft soil and decaying wood. The species reproduces by parthenogenesis — every individual is a clone of its mother, with no males known — which is one reason it colonises new continents so successfully.
Range
Native to South Asia but now established across every continent except Antarctica. Human transport of nursery plants has carried this little snake to Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands, giving it the broadest range of any terrestrial snake.
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Flowerpot Snake starts with F and ends with E. Browse other snakes along the same letter.
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