Epictia goudotii, also known commonly as the black blind snake and the southern Caribbean threadsnake, is a species of snake in the family Leptotyphlopidae. The species is native to Middle America.McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. (series). (volume).
Etymology The specific name, goudotii, is in honor of French naturalist Justin-Marie Goudot.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Leptotyphlops goudotii, p. 104).
Geographic range In Central America, Epictia goudotii is found in western Panama.
In South America, it is found in western Colombia, northern Venezuela, and on associated islands.Freiberg MA (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. . (Leptotyphlops goudotii goudotii, p. 118).
Habitat The preferred natural habitat of Epictia goudotii is forest, at altitudes from sea level to , but it has also been found in agricultural clearings.
Description A small species, Epictia goudotii usually has a total length (including a short tail) of about , but may grow to . There are 14 scale rows around the body, throughout the whole length of the body, and there are 10 scale rows around the middle of the tail.
Behavior Epictia goudotii is terrestrial and fossorial.
Diet Epictia goudotii preys upon ants and termites.
Reproduction Epictia goudotii is oviparous.
References
Further reading Adalsteinsson SA, Branch WR, Trape S, Vitt LJ, Hedges SB (2009). "Molecular phylogeny, classification, and biogeography of snakes of the family Leptotyphlopidae (Reptilia, Squamata)". Zootaxa 2244: 1–50. (Epictia goudotii, new combination). Boulenger GA (1893). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I., Containing the Families ... Glauconiidæ .... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I–XXVIII. (Glauconia goudotii, p. 64). Duméril A-M-C, Bibron G (1844). Erpétologie génerale ou Histoire naturelle complète des Reptiles, Tome sixième [Volume 6]. Paris: Roret. xii + 609 pp. (Stenostoma goudotii, new species, p. 330). (in French). Jan [G] (1861). Iconographie générale des Ophidiens, Deuxième livraison [Issue 2]. (Illustrated by Ferdinando Sordelli). Paris: Baillière. Index + Plates I–VI. (Stenostoma goudotii, Plate V, figure 2; Plate VI, figure 2). (in French).