European Blind Snake
Xerotyphlops vermicularis
A worm-like harmless blind snake; biologically confirmed in the Georgia checklist.
Overview
What is European Blind Snake
The European blind snake (Xerotyphlops vermicularis) is a harmless, fossorial typhlopid. Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 treat it as a biologically confirmed species found throughout the Eastern Mediterranean and the Caucasus. It is on the Georgia checklist. A CaBOL barcode is from Chachuna Managed Reserve; a paper figure also shows Dalis Mta reservoir. Its worm-like body can be confused with the javelin sand boa (Eryx jaculus), but the build is different.
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Gallery
European Blind Snake in photos
Photo: mobinkargarfard
Photo: ზაქრო სონგულაშვილი
Photo: Валерия Ковалева
Photo: vil05
Photo: hossein_nabizadeh
Photo: Lasha Gogodze
Photo: Vaso Ioramashvili
Photo: Natalia Bulbulashvili
Photo: Natalia Bulbulashvili
Identification
How to identify European Blind Snake
A tiny worm-like blind snake with reduced eyes — not a sand boa.
A tiny worm-like body with glossy scales. A fossorial typhlopid; rarely seen on the surface.
Eyes reduced to dark spots under the scales — an almost eyeless head, not visible eyes.
A harmless typhlopid; not a colubrid and not a boa. Site classification: Harmless.
The javelin sand boa (Eryx jaculus) is stouter, with small but visible eyes and a blunt tail — the build is different.
Confirmed on the Georgia checklist. A barcode is from Chachuna Managed Reserve; a figure locality is Dalis Mta reservoir. Do not confuse it with Eryx jaculus.
Quiz
Next: which snake is it?
European Blind Snake is in the Georgia snake quiz. Ten field photos, four names — eye practice, not field ID.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about European Blind Snake.
Yes. It is on the Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 checklist. A CaBOL barcode is from Chachuna Managed Reserve; a figure locality is Dalis Mta reservoir.
Site classification: Harmless. It is a non-venomous blind snake.
No. This is a typhlopid with a worm-like body and almost no visible eyes. Eryx jaculus is a boa: stouter, with small eyes and a blunt tail.
Ants, termites and their brood.
A tiny worm-like blind snake with reduced eyes — not a sand boa.
Fossorial; rarely seen on the surface.
References
Sources
References
Sources
- Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 — Annotated checklist of Georgia's amphibians and reptiles
- Iankoshvili & Tarkhnishvili 2021 — Distribution of snakes in Georgia
- The Reptile Database
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
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