Brahminy Blindsnake

Adults of I. braminus measure 2–4 inches (5.1–10.2 cm) long, uncommonly to 6 inches (15 cm). The head and tail are superficially similar as the head and neck are indistinct. Unlike other snakes, the head scales resemble the body scales. The eyes are barely discernible as small dots under the head scales. The tip of the tail has a small, pointed spur. Along the body are fourteen rows of dorsal scales. Coloration ranges from charcoal gray, silver-gray, light yellow-beige, purplish, or infrequently albino, the ventral surface more pale. Coloration of the juvenile form is similar to that of the adult. Behavior ranges from lethargic in appropriate habitat to energetic, quickly seeking the cover of soil or leaf litter to avoid light.

The tiny eyes are covered with translucent scales, rendering this snake almost entirely blind. The eyes cannot form images, but are still capable of registering light intensity.

Most likely originally native to Africa and Asia, I. braminus is an introduced species in many parts of the world, including Australia, the Americas, and Oceania. The vertical distribution is from sea level to 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) in Sri Lanka and up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) in Guatemala. The type locality given is "Vishakhapatam" [India].

Native range. In Africa, I. braminus has been reported in Uganda, DRC, Egypt, Kenya, Senegal, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa (an isolated colony in Cape Town and Natal Midlands; about eight have been found in Lephalale, Limpopo Province at the Medupi Power Station during construction), Madagascar (Nossi Be), the Comoro Islands, Mauritius, the Mascarene Islands and the Seychelles. It has also been found in Libya. In Asia, it occurs in the Arabian Peninsula, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Philippines, Pakistan, Nepal, mainland India (as well as the Andaman Islands, the Nicobar Islands, and the Lakshadweep Islands, where it is the only snake reported), the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Singapore, the Malay Peninsula, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, southern China (including Hainan), Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan (in the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawashima and Miyakoshima). In Maritime Southeast Asia, it occurs on Sumatra and nearby islands (the Riau Archi …

The diet of I. braminus consists of the larvae, eggs, and pupae of ants and termites.