How small can a snake be?

The Barbados threadsnake (Tetracheilostoma carlae) holds the record for the smallest snake species in the world. Adult females of this species average around 4 inches (10.4 centimeters) in length, while adult males are even smaller, averaging around 3.9 inches (9.9 centimeters) in length. This tiny snake is native to the forests of the eastern Caribbean island of Barbados, where it lives in leaf litter and under rocks. It feeds on small insects such as ants and termites and is considered to be harmless to humans.