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Friday 18 august 2023 locAl
A10
Episode 37
Get to know Aruba’s small snake
The world’s smallest snake mites. In contrast to larger
species, which adult’s av- species — some of which
erage size is just beneath can lay up to 100 eggs in
four inches in length and a single clutch — the small-
0.11811 inches in diam- est snakes and the smallest
eter, has been discovered of other types of animals
on the Caribbean island usually lay only one egg or
of Aruba some years ago. give birth to one offspring.
Encountering this species The Aruban variety is no
which is as thin as a spa- exception to this pattern. It
ghetti noodle and small produces a single slender
enough to rest in the palm egg that occupies a signifi-
of your hand, is becoming cant portion of the moth-
very frequent by our cura- er’s body. “If a tiny snake
tor Anthony Croes, who ad- were to have two offspring,
vocates the goals of Etnia each egg could occupy
Nativa to share and protect only half the space that is
our natural richness. devoted to reproduction
within its body.”q
Leptotyphlops carlae average size. Using these hatchlings of the largest it is related the snake feeds
Our curator has found this methods could determine snakes are only one-tenth primarily on earth worms Source; Island Insight column
snake variety that lives in if this species could be the length of an adult. Tiny and larvae of ants and ter- by Etnia Nativa
tiny cavities in the limestone unique to Aruba. A snake snakes produce only one
flats, alongside the South of this same specie was dis- massive egg — relative to
and North-Western part of covered by Blair Hedges, the size of the mother —
the island bordering the an evolutionary biologist in which suggests that natu-
salt lake that ends or starts 2008 on the island of Barba- ral selection is trying to
in the Malmok area. There dos and the nearby island keep the size of hatchlings
we find the top layer of the of St. Lucia. He named the above a critical limit in or-
limestone plateau that has one discovered on Barba- der for them to survive
deprived of its original veg- dos Tetracheilostoma car-
etation by heavy equip- lae or Leptotyphlops car- Biologists think the Barba-
ment for housing projects. lae, which is the smallest of dos snake may be at or near
Turned over and tumbled the more than 3,100 known the minimum possible size
rocks exposed the under- snake species on the plan- for snakes, though cannot
ground part of the lime- et. say for sure that no smaller
stone showing holes and species exists — several oth-
cavities that form the ideal Aruba`s Xerophil vegeta- er snake species are nearly
hunting and living bio- tion, which grows on the as small. While it is possible
sphere for the small snake. topsoil that covers old is- that a smaller species ex-
land lime stone plateaus. ists, finding such an animal
Limestone hole and small is unlikely. “Snakes may be
channels and cavities The smallest animals have prevented by natural se-
Etnia Nativa`s concern is young that are proportion- lection from becoming too
that the Aruban species is ately enormous relative to small because, below a
new to science and there- the adults. The hatchlings certain size, there may be
fore its importance is unac- are one-half the length nothing for their young to
knowledged but is might of an adult, whereas the eat.” Like others to which
be vital in Aruba’s ecosys-
tem. Studies based on its
genetic most probably dif-
ferences from other snake
species and its unique color
pattern and scales. It is also
stated that some old mu-
seum specimens that had
been misidentified by other
scientists actually belong to
this new species.
Scientists use adults to
compare sizes among ani-
mals because the sizes of
adults do not vary as much
as the sizes of juveniles and
because juveniles can be
harder to find. In addition,
scientists seek to measure
both males and females of
a species to determine its