Red Worm Lizard

Amphisbaena alba

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The red worm lizard, known in Spanish as culebra ciega blanca or anfisbena blanca, is neither a snake nor a lizard: it belongs to the amphisbaenians, a group of burrowing reptiles of their own with the body ringed like a giant earthworm. It lives underground, often inside the nests of leafcutter ants, and can move forwards and backwards with equal ease.

Weight

210 g on average

Size

35 cm – 75 cm

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaRainforestCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Reptile Savanna Rainforest

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Fun facts

Its name comes from the amphisbaena of Greek mythology, a creature with a head at each end: the tail is as blunt as the head and the animal moves with equal ease in either direction, which makes it very hard to tell which way it will go.
It often lives inside the nests of leafcutter ants, feeding on insects and on the nest's waste without the ants attacking it.
It is neither snake nor lizard: the amphisbaenians form a group of squamate reptiles of their own, with the skull reinforced for digging and the body ringed, and with more than two hundred species worldwide.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Floor of rainforest, leafcutter ant nests and secondary forest of South America
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: 90 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 12 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphisbaena_alba