World’s Rarest Snake Found in St. Lucia

The Saint Lucia racer (photo), one of four endemic snakes in the Caribbean nation of Saint Lucia, declared extinct in 1936, has been found by conservationists during a five month search on the rocky, steep-sided islet just 12 ha in size. Sightings of the racer, a small non-venomous snake, have been rare, leading to fears that these harmless snakes may have been lost forever following the introduction of predatory mongooses from India in the late 19th century. The study revealed as few as 18 of the world’s rarest snakes remain in the now mongoose-free islet.Photo courtesy phys.org---NNN