Range: Oman to Yemen, coastal Eritrea, northern coastal Somalia

 

Rare and little-recorded, Nurse’s blind snake is known from the coastal regions and lusher oases surrounding the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. It grows up to likely 35 cm in length, with a very slender build and short, rounded head sporting a short beak-like rounded snout and a similarly blunt tail tipped in a short point. Dorsal scale count is 281-378, scale row count is 14, 12 on the tail. Coloration is a nearly uniform dorsal pink hue with tan or brown overtones, lighter between the scales and fading to a cream or translucent-looking ventral surface. This species can be distinguished from close relatives like M. burii by its smaller rostral and frontal shields, blunt rounded snout, and lower dorsal scale count.

 

Habitat: moister microhabitats within sandy desert regions, from 50-1525 meters in elevation. Likely frequents ant nests and grass clumps.

 

Prey: most likely small soft-bodied invertebrates such as ant and termite larvae.

 

Lifespan and reproduction: lifespan unknown, likely under 7 years. Oviparous.

 

Sources: https://reptile-dhttps://www.inaturalist.org/observations/26794475atabase.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Myriopholis&species=nursii

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/26794475 under license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/