Antiguan Racers No Long World’s Rarest Snake - via Herp Digest

Fauna and Flora International, 10/20/18 

Antiguan racers are endemic to the twin-island country of Antigua and Barbuda. Following the introduction of invasive mammals (rats and mongooses) in the 1800s, the species suffered a drastic decline and, by 1995, only around 50 of these snakes survived on just one offshore islet.

Happily, following work by Fauna & Flora International and partners to eradicate the alien species and reintroduce the snakes onto other offshore islands cleared of invasive predators, the population and range of the Antiguan racer has increased to over 1,100 individuals spread across four separate sites.

ANTIGUAN RACER FACTS:

• Despite their name, these racers are actually rather slow. They prey on four endemic species of lizard, which they catch by waiting in ambush.
• The Antiguan racer is one of very few snakes in which males can be distinguished from females by their colour. Their colouration also changes dramatically with age.
• These placid snakes are harmless to humans – their only defence is to emit a musky smell when frightened.
• The Antiguan racer has incorrectly been declared extinct twice: the first time in 1936, and again in 2009.
• Most of the Antiguan racers alive today have been implanted with microchip tags for security purposes and to monitor their growth and survival.