A few months ago, I went to Hookena to look for dolphins and enjoy snorkeling. But instead of dolphins, I got to see a so-called “Hawaiian snake” for the first time. All this time I’ve been to Hawaii, I’ve always told that there were no snakes in the ecosystem of Hawaii. I was surprised to see the “Hawaiian snake”, according to the friendly stranger who showed me, a little worm-looking creature with snake-like tongue going, “shuuu shuuu”. So, my questions of the week are, “what is the “Hawaiian snake” and “Are they native to Hawaii?”
What is the Hawaiian snake?
Brahminy Blind Snake (Ramphotyhlops braminus) is the actual name of this worm-looking snake which lives in the soil and eats arthropods and worms. It is the only known parthenogenic snake, which means there are only females and they reproduce asexually.
For more information, go to Wikipedia.
Are they native to Hawaii?
The answer is no. It’s a bit strange since one of the common names for the Brahminy Blind Snake is “Hawaiian Blind Snake”, but according to Explore Biodiversity and many other literatures on Hawaiian ecosystems, they are introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in potting soil for plants. However, they are not harmful to the ecosystem of Hawaii.
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