Cape Thread Snake

Cape Thread Snakes (Rena boettgeri) are the strangest snakes that I have ever seen, by far! 

These small, burrowing, worm-like creatures primarily eat ants and termites, as well as their larvae. They are most commonly found in well-vegetated areas with loose soil. The one in this photo was found in our neighbor’s water cistern. 

Since Cape Thread Snakes are long and thin, hardly tapering on either end, they seem more like worms than snakes. Their eyes are very small and can be hard to see, resembling scales; their mouths are so tiny they look as though they were an afterthought; and, last but not least, their scales are translucent PINK!