Texas Threadsnake
Rena dulcis
A small, glossy, burrowing thread snake native to Texas and adjacent Mexico, spending nearly its entire life underground feeding on ant and termite brood.
- Venomous?
- Harmless
- Adult length
- 17-27 cm (7-11 in)
- Range
- Southern United States and northern Mexico
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Overview
The Texas threadsnake is a small fossorial species widespread across Texas and parts of neighboring states and northern Mexico. Its reduced eyes and slender, thread-like body reflect a lifestyle spent almost entirely below ground.
It is entirely harmless to humans, lacking any venom apparatus capable of affecting anything larger than the small insects it feeds on.
How to identify it
- Slender, cylindrical, thread-like body of nearly uniform width
- Glossy pinkish-brown to silvery or purplish-brown coloration
- Smooth, tightly overlapping scales that give a polished sheen
- Tiny vestigial eyes visible as small dark spots under translucent scales
- Blunt head and short, spine-tipped tail
- Adults typically 17-27 cm in length
Habitat & range
Found in loose, sandy, or rocky soils across deserts, grasslands, and scrublands of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and northern Mexico. Shelters under rocks, logs, or debris, and is rarely seen above ground except after rainfall or when disturbed.
Behavior, diet & reproduction
Nocturnal and fossorial, feeding on ant and termite eggs, larvae, and pupae by following chemical trails into underground colonies. Secretes substances believed to help it avoid attack from the colony insects.
An egg-laying species, with females producing small clutches of a few elongated eggs, sometimes in shared nest sites underground.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Texas threadsnake venomous?
No, it is harmless and poses no threat to humans.
How big does the Texas threadsnake get?
Adults typically reach 17-27 cm (7-11 in) in length.
What does the Texas threadsnake eat?
It feeds on ant and termite eggs, larvae, and pupae underground.
Where is the Texas threadsnake found?
It occurs in Texas and adjacent areas of Oklahoma, New Mexico, and northern Mexico.
Texas Threadsnake guides
In-depth guides for identifying and understanding Texas Threadsnake.
