Common names: long-tailed blindsnakes, long-tailed blind snakes, worm snakes. Ramphotyphlops is a genus of nonvenomous blind snakes of the family Typhlopidae. Member species of the genus are native to southern Asia and southeast Asia, as well as many islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. They occur in a wide variety of habitats. As of 2025, 23 species are recognized as being valid.
Description and ecology Growing to 50–750 mm (2–30 in) in length, snakes of the genus Ramphotyphlops occur in a variety of colors from light beige, to red, to blackish brown. They are often difficult to identify properly without the aid of optical magnification. Their heads are conical and tapered into their bodies.
These snakes can be found in ant and termite nests, as well as under fallen leaves and in holes in logs. They are believed to feed on earthworms, as well as the larvae and eggs of ants and termites. They are thought to be oviparous, although this has only been observed in a few species.
Species Species www.reptile-database.orgTaxon author *Subsp.**Common nameGeographic rangeR. acuticauda0Palau Island blind snakePalau, MicronesiaR. adocetus0Caroline Islands, MicronesiaR. angusticeps0arboreal blind snakeSolomon IslandsR. becki0Beck's blind snakeGuadalcanal, Solomon IslandsR. bipartitus0Southern New Guinea blind snakeTidore, Maluku IslandsR. conradi0Conrad's worm snakeSulawesi, IndonesiaR. cumingii0Cuming's blind snakePhilippinesR. depressus0Melanesia blind snakesw Pacific: Maluku; New Guinea; Bismarcks; Solomons; FijiR. erebus0Papua New GuineaR. exocoeti0Christmas Island blind snakeChristmas Island (Australia)R. flaviventer0yellow-bellied blind snakeMaluku; New Guinea; FijiR. hatmaliyeb0 Caroline Islands, MicronesiaR. lineatus0striped blind snake, striped worm snake, lined blind snakeSingaporeR. lorenzi0Lorenz's blind snakeBorneoR. mansuetus0small-headed blind snakeSolomon IslandsR. marxi0Marx's worm snakePhilippinesR.mollyozakiae 0Molly Ozaki’s blind snakeThailandR. multilineatusT0hook-nosed blind snakeKai Islands and Salawati, IndonesiaR. olivaceus0olive blind snakeBorneo; Philippines; Sulawesi; Maluku; Solomon IslandsR. similis0Manukwari blind snakeNew GuineaR. suluensis0Sulu Archipelago, PhilippinesR. supranasalis0Salawati blind snakeSalawati Island, IndonesiaR. willeyi0Loyalty Islands blind snakeLoyalty Islands, New Caledonia *) A taxon author in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Ramphotyphlops. **) Not including the nominate subspecies. T) Type species.
References
Further reading Fitzinger L (1843). Systema Reptilium, Fasciculus Primus, Amblyglossae. Vienna: Braumüller & Seidel. 106 pp. + indices. (Ramphotyphlops, new genus, p. 24). (in Latin).
External links
Ramphotyphlops at Lamington National Park. Accessed 29 August 2007.