Fauna Spotters logo

Barrow Island Blind Snake (Anilios longissimus)

The Barrow Island blind snake is a small, subterranean snake known only from Barrow Island off the Pilbara coast of Western Australia. Its poorly known distribution and underground habitat make careful pre-clearance planning and a cautious response to any unexpected encounter important on works sites. It is listed as DBCA Priority 2 in Western Australia.

Conservation status

Western Australia, WA Threatened and Priority Fauna List: Priority 2.

Seasonal planning

Seasonal activity and breeding months are unknown. The row below is a general planning window, not a claim about species activity.

Known seasonal timing: Not recorded.

Planning approach: Apply precautions throughout the year where works could affect underground habitat.

Seasonal timing is unknown; this profile does not infer activity from other species.

  • Works planning: Planning window only. No species-specific activity or breeding months are known; maintain precautions year-round.

Identification: Appearance and size

Use the available description cautiously. This is a rarely recorded subterranean snake, and field identification information is limited.

The body is described as unpigmented and almost translucent. One account reports an average length of about 27 cm; another gives a greatest recorded length of 268 mm.

Identification: Similar species

Similar species and distinguishing field characters have not been described. Do not identify a specimen from colour or size alone.

Identification: Field signs

No species-specific surface signs, tracks, burrows or reliable detection cues have been recorded.

Distribution: Known range

The species is known from Barrow Island, offshore from the Pilbara coast.

The species is known only from Barrow Island, about 50 km off the Pilbara coast of north-western Western Australia. The type locality is Bandicoot Bay.

Distribution: WA records and status

The DBCA priority list flags the Pilbara region. Atlas of Living Australia records show two Western Australian records at two distinct 0.1-degree locations, with latitude from -20.9 to -20.8 and longitude 115.4. Records outside Western Australia were excluded as likely errors.

The species is DBCA Priority 2, meaning it is poorly known and known from few locations, some on conservation lands. This is a DBCA priority-list category, not a listing under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. No national listing is recorded.

Habitat: Known habitat

The species is subterranean, but little is known about the places it uses below ground.

The reported habitat is subterranean. The holotype was recovered from well casing raised from considerable depth during drilling operations.

Habitat: Habitat information gaps

Soil types, vegetation, surface landforms and the range of underground features used by the species have not been described. Do not assume that a particular surface habitat is suitable or unsuitable.

Foraging habitat: Foraging information

Species-specific feeding and foraging information is not established.

Prey items, feeding locations and foraging behaviour have not been documented. A database labels the species carnivorous, but this is an inference rather than a conclusion based on species data.

Foraging habitat: Site assessment

Do not use assumed prey or foraging habitat to rule out potential presence. Treat underground habitat as the main documented habitat context and seek specialist advice where works may affect it.

Breeding habitat: Breeding information

The species is reported to lay eggs, but breeding sites and timing are unknown.

The species is oviparous. Nest sites, egg numbers, incubation period, hatchling details and breeding months have not been recorded.

Breeding habitat: Works planning

Do not designate a particular month or surface feature as a breeding period or breeding site for this species. Apply precautionary assessment whenever works could disturb underground habitat.

Sheltering habitat: Known shelter context

Underground habitat is the only sheltering context documented for the species.

The species is described as subterranean. Recovery of the holotype from well casing raised during deep drilling indicates an underground occurrence, but does not establish a specific shelter type.

Sheltering habitat: Unrecorded shelter details

Burrow form, depth, refuge structure and use of particular soil layers or cavities are unknown. Avoid probing or excavating potential refuges solely to search for the animal.

Threats: Known information

Specific threats to this species have not been identified.

No species-specific threat assessment is available. Its DBCA Priority 2 status reflects that it is poorly known and known from few locations, rather than indicating a stated threat category.

Threats: Precaution on works sites

As a general precaution, assess whether proposed ground disturbance could affect underground habitat. Avoid attributing a particular activity as a documented species threat unless supported by a site-specific assessment.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Species-specific detection information is limited. Survey planning should account for its subterranean habitat and the limits of current records.

Review project mapping and available fauna records, including the Barrow Island and Bandicoot Bay records and the Pilbara regional listing. Check whether proposed works could disturb underground features.

Survey methodology: 2. Field assessment

Use a suitably qualified fauna ecologist to assess the site and advise on proportionate methods. No reliable species-specific survey technique or detection season has been established.

As a general precaution for a subterranean snake, do not rely on surface searches alone to confirm absence, and do not undertake intrusive excavation or drilling solely as a survey method without appropriate approvals and specialist advice.

Survey methodology: 3. Records and identification

If a possible specimen is encountered, record the location, circumstances and photographs where this can be done safely. Seek expert identification and follow applicable reporting requirements; do not handle the animal unless authorised and competent.

Vegetation associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific vegetation association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Ecosystem associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific ecosystem association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Soil and substrate associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific soil association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Water and wetland associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific water association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Fauna records and mapped habitat: Not yet analysed

Record locations can be overlaid with mapping, but record frequency alone does not measure habitat preference. No species is excluded from desktop assessments by this analysis.

No quality-controlled record-to-map analysis has been completed for this species. The existing generalised distribution dots and indicative range polygons have not been treated as precise occurrence coordinates.

A defensible run needs dated, independently attributable records, coordinate uncertainty, duplicate and captive-record checks, layer versions and regional scope. Preference and absence require additional survey-effort and detection evidence.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: No supported exclusion recorded

Not recorded is not the same as cannot occur. Low suitability, resident habitat, breeding habitat and occasional movement are different conclusions.

This library has not established a vegetation, ecosystem or soil-type exclusion for this species. This does not mean all habitat is suitable; the evidence needed to justify an exclusion has not been assembled.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: Before using a negative association

  • Confirm the taxon, geographic region, life stage and habitat function covered by the evidence.
  • Check survey methods, season, repeated effort and detectability before interpreting non-detection.
  • Investigate credible contradictory records and microhabitats absent from broad mapping.
  • Do not convert a missing map class, low record count or failed data request into species absence.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Desktop assessment

Plan works around the species' limited known range and underground habitat, while recognising that its distribution at site level is poorly known.

Check the latest DBCA fauna information and project-area records, and confirm whether the site is within or near the known Barrow Island range. The WA regional flag is Pilbara.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Site planning

Have an ecologist assess the proposed disturbance footprint and the potential for underground habitat to be affected. Avoid unnecessary ground disturbance and define work limits before clearing begins.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Crew briefing

Brief spotter catchers, operators and clearing crews on the limited identification information, the possibility of an unexpected encounter, and the stop-work and reporting process.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Pause and protect

Use a cautious stop-work response if a possible blind snake is found during works.

Stop work in the immediate area, keep people and machinery clear, and prevent further disturbance while the find is assessed. Do not dig around the animal or attempt to expose more underground habitat.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Obtain advice

Contact the project ecologist or authorised fauna handler for identification and direction. Field signs and handling requirements are not detailed, so avoid unqualified handling.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Record and report

Document the location, date, work activity and observed circumstances, and follow project and regulatory reporting procedures. Resume work in the affected area only when cleared by the responsible specialist.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Document the event

After an encounter or suspected habitat disturbance, preserve the record and use specialist advice to guide any further work.

Retain photographs, location details, identification advice and a description of the disturbance. Record uncertainty clearly if the specimen could not be confirmed.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Review the work area

Have the ecologist assess whether further works could affect the same underground habitat. Apply any revised exclusion area or work controls advised for the project.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore disturbed ground

Species-specific rehabilitation requirements have not been described.

Where rehabilitation is required, follow the approved site plan and use suitable local materials and methods. Avoid claiming that a particular substrate or planting treatment is specific to this snake.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Check outcomes

Document the area treated and any subsequent fauna observations. Seek ecologist advice if further ground disturbance is proposed or if a possible specimen is encountered.

Sources