The world’s tiniest snake, the Barbados threadsnake (Tetracheilostoma carlae), has been rediscovered in March 2025 two decades after it was last seen and feared extinct. Researchers from Barbados’ Ministry of Environment and Re:wild found the diminutive reptile beneath a rock in central Barbados during a dedicated ecological survey. It measures just 7.5–10 cm (3–4 inches) long about the width of a strand of spaghetti and can easily be mistaken for an earthworm.

Identifying the species required microscopic examination at the University of the West Indies. Scientists confirmed distinctive pale orange stripes and a unique scale on its snout traits that differentiate it from invasive look-alikes like the Brahminy blind snake. After confirmation, the snake was safely returned to its forest. 

Only a handful of sightings have been documented since its first record in 1889. With 98% of Barbados’s original forests cleared, scientists express concern about limited population density, mating challenges, and habitat fragmentation. Notably, the species reproduces sexually but lays only one egg per clutch making population recovery especially slow.

This rediscovery underscores the urgent need for protecting Barbados's endangered forest remnants. It also elevates the threadsnake as a symbol for preserving the island’s biodiversity a tiny species with a big message.