



Habitat: Israel, Jordan and Syria
Status: Least Concern

This is Simon’s Beaked Blind Snake or the Sharp-nosed Blind Snake (Rhinotyphlops simoni) and it really does look like a plump earth worm, doesn’t it? It does have an interesting little feature, though, which helps it out with its burrowing lifestyle. A set of scales overhangs in front of the creature’s mouth that forms a type of sharp shovel which definitely comes in handy when tunneling around the Middle East. Since the snake does live underground, it doesn’t have any need for seeing and lacks eyes – hence the term “blind snake.”
What do you think? Cute or ugly? I’m rather torn here…