Interior blind snake (Ramphotyphlops endoterus) - endangered species listing

The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to list Ramphotyphlops endoterus (Waite, 1918), a blind snake as an ENDANGERED SPECIES on Part 1 of Schedule 1 of that Act.

NSW Scientific Committee - final determination

The Scientific Committee has found that:

1. Ramphotyphlops endoterus is a blind snake of arid Australia. It is brown or reddish brown above and white or cream below.

2. Ramphotyphlops endoterus was not previously known to have existed in NSW but has been reliably identified from two individuals trapped in pit traps at Mootwingee National Park in October 1994. Identification has been confirmed by the Australian Museum.

3. Ramphotyphlops endoterus is a central Australian species, recorded from central-eastern Western Australia, southern Northern Territory, far south-western Queensland and the northern two-thirds of South Australia. The New South Wales records are at the eastern margin of the national range.

4. The threats to Ramphotyphlops endoterus are unknown, although habitat degradation by feral goats may impact on the species. The small size of this population also makes it vulnerable to genetic introgression and one-off catastrophic events.

5. In view of 2, 3 & 4 above the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that the blind snake Ramphotyphlops endoterus is likely to become extinct in nature in NSW unless the circumstances and factors threatening it survival cease to operate.

Associate Professor Paul Adam
Deputy Chairperson
Scientific Committee

A Determination to provisionally list this species as an endangered species was gazetted on 30/8/96.

Final Determination gazetted: 8/8/97