Thread Snakes of Morocco
Morocco's smallest snake
Thread snakes are miniature burrowers, blind or nearly so, that live underground across Africa, Asia and the Americas. They feed on ant and termite brood. Morocco has one, the Beaked Thread-snake, the smallest snake in the country: pink, shiny, rarely past 25 centimetres, as thin as a pencil lead, with eyes reduced to two dots under the head scales.
Morocco
to humans
It looks more like a Worm lizard than a snake, and most often it is simply taken for an earthworm. It goes unrecorded far more often than it is rare, and what cannot be mapped cannot be protected.
Myriopholis algeriensisBeaked Thread-snakeHow to identify a thread snake
Morocco's single Thread snake is harmless. Keep your distance, this guide is for identification, not to encourage the handling of harmless species.
1 Is it really a thread snake?
COLLAGE: Three quick checksThree quick checks
- Pink and shiny, the same width from end to end
- No visible neck, blunt at both ends
- Eyes reduced to two dark dots under the scales
- Do not confuse with Worm lizards (amphisbaenians)
Venomous or harmless?
Thread Snakes of Morocco
Is a thread snake dangerous? Can it bite?
No, and no. The Beaked Thread-snake (Myriopholis algeriensis) is Morocco's smallest snake, has no venom, and its mouth is far too small to bite a human. It is one of the most harmless animals you could encounter.
Is it a snake or a worm?
A true snake, with scales, a backbone and a forked tongue. It just happens to look like a shiny pink earthworm: the same width from end to end, no visible neck, and eyes reduced to two dark dots under the head scales, because an animal that spends its life underground has little use for them.
How big is it?
Rarely more than 25 centimetres, and about as thick as the lead of a pencil, making it very fragile.
I found a small pink snake. Is it this one?
Probably, since these are the only pink snakes in Morocco. Two look-alikes are worth ruling out first: earthworms, which have no scales and no tongue, and Worm lizards, which are ringed, thicker and found in the north. The thread snake is only found south of the Atlas Mountains. Our identification guide puts them side by side.
Where does it live in Morocco?
Along the northern margins of the Sahara, south of the Atlas Mountains. It lives in loose soil, under stones and in dry riverbeds. It is easy to miss and easy to mistake for a worm, so its real distribution is likely wider than the map suggests, which is exactly why every observation matters.
What does it eat, and why is it so rarely seen?
It raids ant and termite nests and feeds on the brood, a diet that keeps it underground almost permanently. It surfaces mostly at night, after rain.
Is it protected?
No. It is the only Moroccan snake not falling under law 29-05. However, nothing about this animal calls for killing it anyway: it eats insects, it cannot bite, and it is one of the least known snakes in the country.
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Ask usThe Beaked Thread-snake in Morocco
Beaked Thread-snake
Myriopholis algeriensis
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