The ONLY Snake Found on Anguilla! (2023)
Below you will learn about the ONLY type of snake found in Anguilla.
Because of the geographic isolation of the islands, there are not as many snake species as you might expect here.
The only SNAKE that lives on Anguilla:
Anguilla Bank Racer
- Alsophis rijgersmaei
Also known as the Leeward Islands Racer.
Found ONLY on Anguilla.
Identifying Characteristics:
- The largest documented adult was 54.3 inches in length.
- They are slender snakes with heads that are narrower than their bodies and iridescent bellies.
- Coloration varies from light gray and dark brown to occasionally black, with brown being the most common.
These snakes are endemic to Anguilla.
Anguilla Bank Racers are primarily an undergrowth species, which helps them remain undetected by American Kestrels, one of their primary predators. They have been found from the seasides to the highest summits. The availability of prey and hiding places are the most important in determining habitat suitability.
Anguilla Bank Racers are mainly diurnal but can occasionally be seen at night. They’re primarily terrestrial, but it’s common to find them in trees, bushes, or steep rock faces. They feed on reptiles, amphibians, chicks, and small rodents. Depending on the size of the prey, they may swallow it whole or constrict it or kill it with envenomation before ingesting it. When threatened, they remain motionless or flee into a nearby hiding spot.
Sadly, Anguilla Bank Racers are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. They have proved extremely susceptible to the introduction of the mongoose and have been extirpated from parts of their former range. They also face threats from human persecution and habitat loss from development and overgrazing.
