Roatan long-tailed snake
Enulius roatanensis
Where to see it
Leaf litter and underground. It was first found near Mud Hole Bay at almost sea level. Very few people have ever seen one.
When
Rarely seen in any season
Status
Endangered. Found nowhere else on Earth.
A small, secretive snake with an unusually long tail and no pale collar, living in leaf litter and underground. It was first described in 1999 from near Mud Hole Bay, at almost sea level, and is listed as Endangered. Very few people have ever seen one, and the handful of records come from people turning over logs and debris rather than from anyone walking a trail.
It is harmless to people. Like the island's other small endemics it has no public profile, no park, and no plan written for it, which is the quiet way an island species disappears. Keeping patches of native forest and leaf litter intact is the only thing that helps.