Scientist: World's Smallest Snake discovered in Barbados.:

[Stuart G]

Source: Yahoo News..AP

By DAVID McFADDEN, Associated Press Writer Sun Aug 3, 7:48 PM ET

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - A U.S. scientist said Sunday he has discovered the globe's tiniest species of snake in the easternmost Caribbean island of Barbados, with full-grown adults typically stretching less than 4 inches (10 centimeters) long.
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S. Blair Hedges, an evolutionary biologist at Penn State University whose research teams also have discovered the world's tiniest lizard in the Dominican Republic and the smallest frog in Cuba, said the snake was found slithering beneath a rock near a patch of Barbadian forest.

Hedges said the tiny-title-holding snake, which is so diminutive it can curl up on a U.S. quarter, is the smallest of the roughly 3,100 known snake species. It will be introduced to the scientific world in the journal "Zootaxa" on Monday.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080803/ap_on_sc/barbados_tiny_snake

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link up to this one..kinda cute, of course..not poisonous....perhaps this little guy/gal can help to battle that Garden of Eden stuff..I really like most snakes..most common snakes eat rats, mice, and other vermin...I don't like rats..

[annabanana]

1. lol !! sounds "yummy" . . n/t

[Tim4319]

2. Worlds smallest snack?

Wow, a full serving must have a lot of calories, or it's a real healthy snack!

Just kiddin'!

[Stuart G]

6. sorry about that...correction made, but I am sure that this one is a snack for some critter.

[supernova]

3. He is small enough to be a snack

:rofl:

[islandmkl]

4. who eats these things?

[CreekDog]

5. on an airplane?

?v=0

[Stuart G]

7. Just goes to show...when......

You think that they have discovered everything that could be found, and,.. up pops the world smallest snake..

[raebrek]

17. Worlds smallest snake so far. n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. And could easily go extinct

(so let's hope it's not a snack too):

Researchers believe that the snake - a type of thread snake - is so rare that it has survived un-noticed until now.

But with 95% of the island of Barbados now treeless, and the few fragments of forest seriously threatened, this new species of snake might become extinct only months after it was discovered.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7537932.stm

[JohnyCanuck]

11. Some controversy ongoing in Barbados right now about natural areas being destroyed

to build massive (for Barbados) condos - mostly for rich Brits and North Americans to have as holiday homes.

http://bajan.wordpress.com/2008/06/26/barbados-west-coast-development/

[Hugabear]

9. Meanwhile, the world's biggest snake is running for US president

Or would that be snakeoil salesman?

[Max_powers94]

10. That is not a snake that is a worm

[1monster]

14. What an insult to worms, who are industrious and help preserve and restore agroecosystems...

You all have to come up with better descriptive fauna to describe some of the critters running our governments and economies.

Consider some of the pests of the world that have no known beneficial use in the world.

Fleas, gnats, mosquitoes, (rats? do they have any beneficial qualities), etc.

But reserach first. Even termites have a beneficial ecological purpose.

[HopeHoops]

12. Barbados has this, but FOX has the world's most obnoxious snakes....

... and now for a report, live from Aruba...

Seriously, you have to admit it is a rather cute little thing.

[Stuart G]

13. Fellow DUers...please..let us stop insulting snakes..

Comparing snakes to Fox, and Mc Insane...lessons the inherent dignity of snakes.. and as Hope says..this one is cute..

[HopeHoops]

15. My bad : Official apology to snakes offered.

[ReadTomPaine]

16. Here's a photo for the curious...

[beevul]

18. Very cool.

Snakes don't get the respect or the recognition they deserve, for being the beautiful and beneficial creatures they are.

[Stuart G]

19. Yep, snakes don't get no respect....

Garden of Eden stuff. The huge majority of snakes are harmless quiet predators, who in general keep the small mammal population down. Rats, mice some rabbits, others..Very few bite and like most animals, just want to be left alone. History has not been kind to them, but unlike cats, I do not think they were killed by people thinking they were witches. People have bad feelings about them cause they slither along, and their press, as stated is...quite poor.. Well what would you do if you had no legs? Let us give them some respect here.. Especially the little ones.

[sofa king]

20. Sure. They haven't seen my penis.